Peter Schorsch
The Pasco County Tax Collector’s office has raised $24,399 for Sen. Lauren Book’s Lauren’s Kids, a nonprofit that aims to prevent childhood sexual abuse through education and awareness, Tax Collector Mike Fasano announced.
Book, herself a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, launched the nonprofit in 2007. It also helps kids who have been victims of sexual abuse heal from their experience through a system of guidance and support.
Lauren’s Kids was the Pasco County Tax Collector office’s charitable organization of the month for April. The agency collected donations and promoted Lauren’s Kids throughout the month, including by highlighting an available specialty license plate, of which 30 were purchased.
“Lauren’s Kids thanks Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano and his entire team for their continued efforts to prevent child sexual abuse and help survivors heal,” Book said in a statement.
“Every dollar makes a difference and helps fund vital prevention, education, and awareness programs to protect childhood. One in three girls and one in five boys will become a victim of sexual abuse before turning 18. One in five children who touch a digital device will be sexually solicited online — but armed with the knowledge that 95% of this abuse IS preventable with education and awareness, the Pasco Tax Collectors Office is creating change for children in West Florida.”
Added Fasano: “On behalf of the entire staff of the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office we thank the members of our very generous community for supporting this life-changing program. Sen. Book’s personal experiences drove her desire to create a nonprofit organization that has and will continue to help untold numbers of children, parents and teachers learn about and prevent childhood sexual abuse. It has been an honor for the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office to once again team with Lauren’s Kids to train a new generation of children about this crime and how they may find help and healing if they do become victims of it.”
Fasano additionally thanked those who purchased Lauren’s Kids specialty license plate, noting that while “we may never know the entirety of the impact … there is no doubt it is great.”
The Charity of the Month program is part of the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Pasco TC Gives initiative.
To date, the program has supplied Pasco County schools with 500 backpacks filled with school supplies; donated more than $6,000 to Pasco school ABC funds; provided holiday meals to more than 600 families; donated more than $11,000 to the Humane Society of Pasco; contributed more than $10,000 to the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation; and added thousands more in donations to local, regional and statewide nonprofits.
Previously, the Tax Collector’s Office had donated more than $7,000 to Lauren’s Kids.
This month’s charity is Cindy’s Pets, which helps seniors on fixed incomes provide food and other needs for their pets. The office has previously donated more than $8,000 to the organization.
