People throughout the world recognized Wednesday as World Day of the Prevention of Child Abuse.

Children are so vulnerable and depend on adults to love and protect them. Yet every year, nearly 1 million children are abused and neglected -- most often by a family member.

Greene County and southwest Missouri are not exempt. We are continually ranked as one of the state's worst areas for these heinous crimes.

Preventing child abuse starts at home. Parents can demonstrate patience, kindness and responsibility, and in doing so will teach young children how to parent once they become adults.

In homes where parents are not present, children are influenced by other sources. These sources include relatives, schools, neighbors, friends, churches and local organizations.

The Junior League has been instrumental in starting two groups that influence families and children.

Last spring they opened Isabel's House, a crisis nursery that provides an essential service to families and children in need.

Almost 20 years ago, they started another new nonprofit group in Springfield to help children who were caught up in the vicious cycle of abuse and neglect. This group, CASA or Court Appointed Special Advocates, used community volunteers to provide one-on-one attention to children who had been removed from their home because they were no longer safe.

Since that time, thousands of boys and girls in Greene County have been helped by CASA volunteers.

The stories of these children's lives are almost unimaginable. There are those who were burned, bitten, left for dead on a sidewalk, and thrown in a trash bin. Others were kept in roach-infested homes or, as a young child, treated as an object of sexual pleasure.

Today, CASA will hold a ceremony for 10 new volunteers. This historical event marks our program's 1,000th volunteer to be trained and sworn in by the local judge as a child advocate during our history.

Imagine the possibilities: 1,000 men and women -- moms and dads, teachers, bankers, accountants, retirees, businessmen and women, doctors, nurses, attorneys, Realtors and almost every other conceivable profession -- all working together for one common cause.

These volunteers offer care, compassion and consistency. They make sure the children's most critical needs don't go unnoticed while they are placed in foster care.

The issue of child abuse is too complex for any one of us to address alone. No single person or group has the expertise to tackle all the issues related to abuse.

But when we pull together as individuals and as partners, great things can be done.

Here's what you can do:

1. Be a friend: Consider everyone -- family, neighbors, even strangers -- as someone worth helping in times of need.

2. Be informed: Find out what your local, state, and federal officials are doing to address child abuse and communicate frequently with them. Support legislation and initiatives that prevent child abuse and that assist groups who are a part of the solution.

3. Be involved: It's easy to sit back and complain about a problem, expecting others to do something about it. But it's more effective to get active in finding solutions through donations of time, expertise and resources.

CASA is now accepting applications for the January 2009 training class. If you are interested in being a part of the solution, consider enrolling in the class and becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Call 875-7413 to get started.

Dan Prater is public affairs director of CASA of Southwest Missouri.