Hunter Norton, a member of our fund development committee and father of Nash and Lawson, is another person we are so, so grateful for. Hunter has been involved with the center for almost four years now, and said he believes in supporting the center because he sees importance in helping vulnerable children in his community.
Hunter said when he first toured the Children’s Safety Center, the number of handprints on our walls made him realize just how many kids face child abuse in our community.
“I toured the Children’s Safety Center, and didn’t know much about it,” he said. “I went in and saw the handprints and was like ‘Holy cow.’”
And the astonishment he felt that day is what has inspired him to be an ambassador for our center. As a member of the fund development committee, Hunter said his job is to spread awareness about the services we provide. One thing he tells people about the CSC is that our primary focus is helping kids recover.
“Kids need somebody to take care of them, and these kids need somebody to stick up for them,” he said. “I like that the center is trying to make their situation better.”
Hunter said he also hopes the handprints that impacted him will bring comfort to the kids who come in our doors.
“I think it would be nice knowing I’ve got a team of other kids behind me that have been through similar situations,” he said. “Kids can come in there and realize, ‘I’m not the only one that this has happened to; this isn’t my fault.’”
Hunter’s children Nash, 2, and Lawson, 5
Hunter didn’t have kids when he first toured the center, but said the realities of child abuse are even more apparent now that he’s a father. And he’s doing everything he can to raise awareness about child abuse prevention to the people in his life.
“Usually kids know the person who is abusing them,” he said. “I have my own children, and I’m coming into the age where a lot of my friends are having kids. I think we’re going to work on awareness and trainings and preventing those things from happening.”
Thank you, Hunter, for your years of service to the Children’s Safety Center of Washington County. We are so grateful for your hard work and advocacy and for reminding kids in our community that they have a safe place to go to.
“You’re not alone. You’re not the only one,” Hunter reminded us.
