Wabash & Southwood Teens Lead Campaign Against Dating Abuse

Thanks to financial support from Wabash Cannonball Chili for Charity Inc., United Fund of Wabash County and Community Foundation of Wabash County, the two TADA groups’ dreams became a reality.

Over the next several weeks, members of the Wabash High School and Southwood High School TADA groups and Hands of Hope Community Education Coordinator Megan Long will be distributing various posters to local businesses, churches and organizations to display. Hands of Hope is a division of Family Service Society, Inc.

The work began when Megan Long met with the two TADA groups and found out who they would like displayed on the posters and what message the teens wanted the community to see.

“The key word is awareness,” said Zoe Payne, a Wabash High School TADA 10th grader. “To integrate awareness into the community, to recognize the symbols, like TADA, Hands of Hope, numbers, websites, friendly faces that you can trust.”

. . .it (dating violence) happens way more than people realize.” – Ashley Ricketts, 12th Grader at Southwood High School

Ashley Ricketts, a 12th grader at Southwood High School, added the importance of doing the poster campaign was, “To get everyone aware of the situation (dating violence) because it happens way more than people realize.”

And, Taylor Fishback, a 9th grader at Southwood went on to say the posters are important, “to tell someone if they are being abused. There are people they can go to, or numbers they can call, or websites to visit.”

As to why the particular people were chosen for each poster, Rachel Adams, also a 10th grader at Wabash High School added, “We all respect these people, from all aspects of the community. They strive to bring out the best in others.”

We all respect these people, from all aspects of the community. They strive to bring out the best in others.”

– Rachel Adams, 10th Grader at Wabash High School

Caitlin Riggle a senior at Southwood commented that those chosen to be on a poster, “are respected people in the community and respectful. People in TADA thought that they display what respect should be. “

Once the list of community leaders was finalized, Katie Stouffer with thirteen4 studios was contacted to create the design and do the photographing.

The format and final design for the posters was approved by the TADA students before posters went to the printer. Now that the posters have been finalized, anyone who would like a particular poster at their business, organization, church or location simply needs to call Megan Long, Hands of Hope Community Education Coordinator at 260-571-5405 or email at mlong@famservices.com