Hello Friends,

Warm greetings! As some of you know, I joined the board of Hidden Water this year and I am proud to support them. They are doing powerful and groundbreaking work in helping individuals and families heal from the impacts of child sexual abuse. This year they have taken their theory of change and expanded their scope by launching an innovative CSA prevention program.

As I have talked with various friends and colleagues I have been struck by the numerous family stories that were disclosed, making it abundantly clear that this problem touches families regardless of educational, socioeconomic or ethnocultural backgrounds.The numbers are staggering: 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 20 boys under the age age of 18 will be harmed with 88% of incidents never reported to legal authorities.

At Hidden Water, we believe that every child deserves to grow up surrounded by adults who are aware, prepared and able to protect them. Preventing child sexual abuse isn’t the responsibility of one group — it requires all of us. And when adults have the right support, healing and prevention become possible. The Safe(r) Adult training is a virtual group program that helps adults recognize early signs of boundary-crossing behavior, respond with steadiness and care when harm is disclosed, and create safer environments where young people can thrive. It’s about turning awareness into action and building a culture of safety grounded in connection and shared responsibility. I completed this program and can report that it was incredibly enlightening and I feel much more empowered as a parent and a responsible grown-up in our community.

Thanks to a donor, this fall one school district in the Bronx is sending one educator from each of their schools to attend this program. By supporting Hidden Water this Giving Tuesday, you can help us bring this program to more families and youth development professionals.

The vast majority of Hidden Water’s funding is through individual donors. Hidden Water is a small team working with a community of dedicated volunteers. We have a roadmap that can scale impact but it is dependent on growing fundraising. Your support is crucial.

Your gift strengthens prevention, supports healing, and moves us closer to a world where children grow up safer, supported, and surrounded by adults who know how to show up. Together, we can build the safer communities our children deserve.

With gratitude, Suejin

P.S. Hidden Water’s Giving Tuesday donation form is open until December 10, so no worries if you can’t make it on December 2. You have plenty of time!