June 27, 2018

On today's show we visit Cobb Safety Village, a unique safety training environment in Marietta, Georgia and talk with Director Allison Carter.  Later in the show Bruce Gale brings us an interview with our Kid Heroes from Atlanta, Nitish & Adityah Sood, founders of Working Together for Change.


Every year, preventable injuries kill almost 1 million children around the world.  

Every year in the U.S., around 8,000 families lose a child because of a preventable injury.  When a child dies, the lives of families are changed forever.  Preventable injuries are the #1 killer of children in America.  Millions more are injured every year.  Almost 7.7 million kids are treated for injuries in emergency departments every year.  These are often serious injuries that can affect them for a lifetime.

Kids are going to fall, crash, slip and tumble. But there are little things we can all do to ensure that kids avoid the more serious injuries that can lead to disabilities and even death.

Cars are such an everyday convenience that it's easy to forget how dangerous they can be. But the frightening reality is that even the shortest drive can turn catastrophic: More than 240,000 kids under age 16 are injured in car crashes every year, and another 1,700 are killed. 

Children between ages 4 and 8 are more likely to be injured in a car than kids under 4. That may be because parents tend to slack off about safety as their children get older. Most moms and dads know to strap infants into a rear-facing car seat, for instance; but only 20 percent of kids between 4 and 8 ride in booster seats, as safety experts recommend.

Properly-fitting child restraints can reduce the risk of death in an accident by up to 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. National statistics show that nearly three out of four car seats are installed incorrectly.

And this brings us to today's highlighted charity, Cobb County Safety Village...

The Cobb County Safety Village, in Marietta, Georgia, is one of the most comprehensive and unique safety training environments. They have had representatives from other countries visit to tour their facility.

"Tell me and I'll forget; Show me and I may remember; Involve me and I will learn for a lifetime."


They believe that education is the key to reducing risk and protecting the community and they work in partnership with the Fire and Police Departments.  With an emphasis on curriculum-based education, all second and fourth grade students are taught vital safety information in a way that makes things learned easier to retain. They also learn about drug and alcohol awareness, kitchen safety, gun safety, electrical safety and water safety.   

Their 27,500-square foot facility includes four classrooms for children, two adult classrooms, a multipurpose room and a 127-seat theater. A main feature inside the facility is Sparky’s House—an interactive house that simulates fire and smoke for a real-life demonstration and complete learning experience. Behind the facility is a child-size representation of Cobb County, complete with a locomotive, school bus and scaled-down models of operative buildings with signage, streets, pedestrian crossings and traffic lights. Mini cars and bicycles are used to teach roadway and pedestrian safety by engaging children in a realistic environment.

Earlier this month, Bev had the opportunity to tour the facility with the Director, Allison Carter. Check out some of the photos below for a little look inside this amazing facility.   @cobbsafetyvillage

In today’s Kid Hero segment, Bruce Gale talks with Nitish & Adityah Sood, two brothers from Atlanta who by happenstance met a homeless woman outside of the local Target shopping mall.  After a lengthy conversation, they found out she had her medical degree to become a doctor but ended up on the streets because of an unfortunate family situation.  

In 2013, the brothers founded an organization called Working Together for Change, with the goal to eliminate homelessness in our country one by one if necessary by opening the conversation about homelessness and helping the homeless with much needed supplies.

Last year, Nitish, now 19 and a student at Augusta University, was awarded the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. The award honors 25 young leaders from all over North America who have made a significant impact on people, their communities and the environment. 

@workingtogetherforchange