Students in Theresa Joyce’s classroom, at Tree House Episcopal Montessori School in Santa Rosa Beach, held a fundraiser for the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center in honor of April’s Child Abuse Prevention Month. Their donation of $224.25 will support ECCAC’s therapy dog program. Pictured L-R: Principal Summer Stough, ECCAC CEO Julie Porterfield and teacher Theresa Joyce.

Providing services and emotional support to child victims experiencing abuse, abandonment or neglect is the 24/7 job of the multi-disciplinary team of staff and volunteers at the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center with locations in Walton and Okaloosa Counties. In ECCAC’s 17-year history, right at 11,000 children have received more than 43,000 services at no cost to include mental health therapy, crisis intervention, referrals to other community providers, interviews and medicals. They raise 60% of their annual budget for the two centers through special events, donations and community-sponsored fundraisers. The remainder of monies are generated through grant requests and governmental funding.

Visit  www.eccac.org for more information about ECCAC’s centers. If abuse is suspected, call the anonymous Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE.