Origami Owl Donates Funds To Support "Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe" Prevention Education Program

CHANDLER, Ariz., April 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Origami Owl^®, the national social selling company that specializes in customized jewelry, announced its partnership with Childhelp^®, the nation's oldest and largest nonprofit advocating for abused and neglected children. Millions of students across the country will receive access to Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe, a comprehensive child abuse and bullying prevention education program, as a direct result of Origami Owl's financial pledge.

In appreciation of Origami Owl's support, Bella Weems, the company's 17-year-old founder was presented with the National Day of Hope Corporate Award at the annual Childhelp Day of Hope^® luncheon on Capitol Hill on April 9 by Sara O'Meara, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Childhelp.

Origami Owl's mission to be a force for good; to love, inspire and motivate people of all ages to reach their dreams and empower them to make a difference in the lives of others, is in direct alignment with Childhelp's mission.

"I am so proud to support Childhelp," said Bella Weems, founder of Origami Owl. "It is important for me to help children especially those suffering in silence from abuse and bullying. I truly believe the Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe program will help save lives."

Specifically, Origami Owl's donation will fund the expansion of the Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe curriculum from first grade through sixth grade to include pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The extended program is being created in conjunction with Northcentral University and is expected to be available for the fall 2014 semester. To make the program even more accessible to educators, Childhelp will be launching a new virtual campus that will offer everything from the curriculum, to facilitator training, continuing education opportunities and guest speakers lectures.

Origami Owl's contributions will also cover the introduction of Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe to over 100,000 students throughout the state of Arizona in an effort to implement a large-scale adoption of the program statewide. Currently, the program is taught in over 19 states and with the help of Origami Owl, Childhelp hopes that the success in Arizona will be the catalyst to achieving national adoption.

"We are so thrilled to partner with Origami Owl for this important project, not just in Arizona but across the United States," stated Sara O'Meara. "There is an epidemic of abuse going on in this country and we aim to halt it in its tracks with the Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe curriculum. We hope this comprehensive prevention education curriculum can help put us out of business, and we are so grateful for Origami Owl's great heart in supporting this cause."

Origami Owl's customizable Living Lockets® and charms are sold across the country by a sales force of more than 60,000 Independent Designers that host in-home parties called Jewelry Bars®. To further its commitment to Childhelp, Origami Owl is currently selling two exclusive charms, proceeds of which will benefit the Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe program. The bully proof charm and the silver heart hand charm, which represents the five children a day that lose their lives due to abuse. Consumers can purchase charms to benefit Childhelp, by contacting a local Origami Owl Independent Designer at origamiowl.com.

Businesses and members of the community looking to get involved can call (480) 922-8212 or visit the website at childhelp.org. Schools interested in taking advantage of the free curriculum opportunity can visit childhelp.org. Those needing counseling or to report a potential abusive situation can call 1-800-4-A-CHILD 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

About Origami Owl:

Origami Owl® Custom Jewelry began in 2010 when 14-year-old founder Bella Weems had a simple dream of owning a car by the time she turned sixteen. She created a line of meaningful, customizable jewelry, including its signature Living Lockets® which can be personalized with an individual's own life journey. Fast forward three years and Origami Owl, a national social selling company and Inc. Hire Power Award recipient is fulfilling its mission to be a force for good; to love, inspire and motivate people of all ages to reach their dreams and empower them to make a difference in the lives of others. Based in Chandler, Arizona Origami Owl boasts hundreds of employees and more than 60,000 independent sales consultants, referred to as Designers, nationwide. These entrepreneurs sell the unique line at in-home parties called Jewelry Bars®. For more information, visit origamiowl.com.   

About Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe:

Formerly known for three decades as Childhelp Good Touch, Bad Touch, this research-based, comprehensive child abuse and bullying prevention education curriculum equips students nationwide with skills they need to play a significant role in the prevention or interruption of abuse and bullying. Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe is delivered through an online virtual campus and covers topics such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, bullying and cyberbullying, all at an age appropriate level. Through the use of integrated student materials, safety rules continue to be reinforced after the initial instruction in the classroom.

About Childhelp:

Since 1959, Childhelp® has brought the light of hope and healing into the lives of countless children as a leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping at-risk children. Childhelp's programs and services include residential treatment services, children's advocacy centers, therapeutic foster care, group homes and child abuse prevention, education and training. Childhelp created the Childhelp National Day of Hope®, held each April during National Child Abuse Prevention Month that mobilizes Americans to join the fight against child abuse. For more information, log on to childhelp.org or facebook.com/childhelp.

SOURCE Origami Owl