Another $25K Grant to Support Child Abuse Prevention Education

Thousands more children in additional southeast Missouri
school districts heard a key message in 2024: An unwanted touch isn’t your fault, and
there are adults you can tell.
That message came from the Green Bear Project, a program sponsored by Southeast
Missouri Networks Against Sexual Violence (SEMO-NASV). Foster mom and pediatric
nurse Leasa Stone founded the program after the tragic death of a 2-year old at the hands
of his biological parents. It’s named after the child’s beloved stuffed animal.
The O’Reilly Automotive Foundation, Inc., the philanthropy arm of O’Reilly Auto Parts,
gave $25,000 to the program last year for its expansion. It paid off, reaching more than
29,000 children in southeast Missouri – an increase of more than 3,000 children.
The Green Bear Project programs reach children from pre-kindergarten through high
school, with age-appropriate discussions and research-based prevention efforts. For
younger kids, there’s a puppet show starring Green Bear himself. Teens get advice on
sexual harassment, online safety, and healthy relationships. There are also community
programs available so mandated reporters and parents/concerned citizens can get the
necessary training to spot the warning signs of child abuse.
“After the grant, we were able to expand programming into schools we hadn’t previously
been in before,” said Kendra Eads, executive director of SEMO-NASV. “We focused on
rural schools in our area, because statistics show children from rural areas experience
higher levels of sexual abuse, as well as general abuse and neglect.”
To sustain this progress, the O’Reilly Foundation has approved another grant for $25,000.
“We saw last year’s grant make a big difference and reach more children,” said Julie Gray,
president of the O’Reilly Automotive Foundation, Inc. “And we’re impressed with how the
organization keeps innovating – one way is by offering short, online abuse trainings that
anyone can access at any time.”
The Green Bear Project’s grant is part of a year-end round of giving for the O’Reilly
Foundation, which awarded $1 million across 35 nonprofits nationwide. It’s the largest
distribution of funds from the foundation since its founding in 2020.
If you’d like to see the Green Bear Project offered at your school, please contact Leasa
Stone at lstone@semonasv.org. For more information about The Green Bear Program or
to support the program via a donation, please visit www.greenbearmo.org, or for more
information about SEMO-NASV, please visit www.semonasv.org. If you have or are
experiencing sexual violence, you can call SEMO-NASV’s 24-hour crisis hotline at (877)
820-6278.