Safe Kids Utah County
Safe Kids Utah county is a non-profit coalition working to make Utah County a safer place for children (ages 0 to 19) by preventing unintentional injuries and fatalities. We provide education and resources to all residents of Utah County. Some of those resources are car seat checks and classes; bike rodeos and discount bike helmets; water safety; fire prevention; poison prevention; pedestrian safety and suicide prevention education. Other topics we have also addressed include: proper hydration during summer sports, safety around animals, carbon monoxide awareness, anti-bullying and concussion prevention. We want to increase the protective factors for our families, through educating kids and parents on these important safety issues. Partnering with Utah Valley Drug Prevention Coalition helps us achieve our goals.
Our coalition has been around for over 20 years and is made up of community members and interested organizations. Some of our partners include: Utah County Health Department, Centro Hispano, Latinos in Action, Shriners Hospital, Welcome Baby, Mass Mutual, Forrest Service, Intermountain Health Care, Healthy U, local law enforcement, Community Health Connect, local school districts, Utah Safety Council, Early Learning Essentials and local universities. Our group really cares about children and their safety. It has been interesting to see the impact of several long-lasting programs over the years. We meet once a month and are happy to welcome any new members or organizations that have goals aligning with our own.
One tradition of our Safe Kids coalition is to have a Christmas service project each year. This project allows our members to come together for a common cause and we have helped several families and organizations over the years. We have gathered supplies for emergency kits, donated smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, bought Christmas gifts for families, provided meals for those in need and several other projects. Elvia Caldera-Soria, a Safe Kids member, said “My favorite thing about being a member of Safe Kids is being a part of the Christmas service project. It is great to be able to help out those that may be struggling in our community. It isn’t always a huge project- but I think in a small way we can still find help for some people in need.”
If you are interested in joining Safe Kids Utah County please reach out to Marla Brannum at marlab@utahcounty.gov or 801-851-7513. We look forward to working together to help keep our children safe!