Throughout the year, we feature employees sharing their unique stories about their time at Ritchie Bros. In this edition, James Leonard, Field Inspector III, talks about his role with the organization Guardians of the Children and the support it provides its communities with child wellness and child abuse awareness programs.
National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month (April)
April is National Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month, a time when child wellness and welfare organizations across the United States elevate the importance of creating systems and programs that put children and families first.
No one understands this more than our colleague James Leonard (Field Inspector III). James is one of the founding members of our SERVE (Military) Employee Resource Group and is also the President of Guardians of the Children Belle City, Wisconsin Chapter. The mission of the Guardians of the Children (GOC) is to recognize and react to child abuse and educate the public to do the same; to serve as advocates to provide strength and stability to families in crisis; and to be an answer to the prayer of an abused child or teen for courage, support, and protection.
For six years the Guardians have run an initiative in the month of April where they place a pinwheel in honor of every documented case of child maltreatment in each county. You can see the news report HERE showing the appreciation from the Kenosha community for this amazing awareness initiative, which brings to light the need for organizations like the GOC and people like James who make it all happen.
We recently connected with James to talk about his support of Guardians of the Children:
What brought you to the GOC (Guardians of the Children)?
I am very passionate about riding (motorcycle), and I was wanting to do more riding, but also get more involved in the community and helping others. The GOC was an easy choice as it includes both my passions, riding, and helping those in need, specifically underprivileged and abused children.
How has being a part of the GOC impacted your life?
Having the privilege to be connected with the extensive and supportive GOC team and international network, including Patch Holders and Supporter roles, who all feel the same need and desire to help the innocent. Doing it together connects us on a level that is like family, just as we feel like family to the kids we protect.
How can someone find out more about the GOC or get involved themselves?
As I mentioned previously, we have two roles, Patch Holders, and Supporter roles. As a supporter it is a 50%-time commitment and there are a multitude of ways to contribute to our mission, like bookkeeping, organizing, planning events and communications. As a Patch Holder there is a much more rigorous process of acceptance, one of them being access to a motorcycle, and a 70%-time commitment. There are chapters in almost every state and there is an international website to find the closest chapter to you. Reach out to them and see how you can help their chapter.
If you would like to find your local GOC chapter, click HERE to be taken to the international website.
Ritchie Bros. is dedicated to having a positive impact in our local communities and we are very proud of all of the work James and other colleagues across the organization do to have a positive impact as well.