
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 5, 1994                    TAG: 9406030254 
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON                     PAGE: 11    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 
DATELINE: 940605                                 LENGTH: Medium

RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO HELP FOCUS ON CHILDREN'S PLIGHT

{LEAD} Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf is asking the city's religious leaders to help fight the war on child abuse and violence by participating in an ecumenical event planned nationwide this fall.

Called the ``Children's Sabbath,'' the observance is sponsored nationally by the Children's Defense Fund and will be held Oct. 14 to 16. It is billed as an interfaith ``cease-fire attempt in the war against our children at home, in the streets and in schools.''

{REST} According to ``The State of America's Children,'' a yearbook published recently by the Children's Defense Fund, every day in the United States three children die from abuse, nine from murder, 27 from poverty and 13 from guns.

Homicide ranks as the third leading cause of death for elementary and middle school children, ages 4 to 15, in America. Between 1979 and 1991, almost 50,000 children were killed by firearms - a total about equal to the number of Americans killed in battle in the Vietnam War.

The national observance is designed get thousands of religious congregations to focus on children during their worship, education and congregational activities during the October weekend. Organizers also hope it will help congregations become more interested in long-term efforts to help children through education and advocacy programs.

Among the programs planned for the Children's Sabbath are:

Houses of worship sounding a bell every two hours to mark the death by a gun of a child in America.

Congregation members bringing hygiene and care items, such as baby oil, diapers, etc., to be given to homeless children.

Services being led by children.

Congregations adopting local families and pledging to be their support network.

Seniors providing godparent support to local Head Start programs in schools.

Workshops and seminars being offered on child-abuse prevention and other topics.

For more information on how congregations can get involved in the Children's Sabbath, call 481-5237 or 523-7695.

by CNB