Daisy helps kids by telling a secret

HAVEN of Oakland's Daisy the Raven has toured schools and helped hundreds of children understand how to recognize and report sexual abuse. And on Thursday evening, Daisy became a movie star.

Thanks to a grant from Verizon Wireless. HAVEN has taken their beloved mascot to a whole new level, with "Daisy Tells a Secret," an animated short film that the non-profit advocacy organization hopes to take nation-wide. Then 10-minute film follows Daisy as her uncle's special "tickling game" becomes an incident involving inappropriate touch. Daisy talks to a friend, whose sister convinces her to talk with her parents and as many "safe adults" as necessary until someone believes her. Most importantly, Daisy learns what happened was not her fault.

Executive Director Beth Morrison said since Daisy was created years ago by staff members, she has been a part of HAVEN's "Helping Kids Help Themselves" program for 4-8-year-olds. Surveys conducted among children who have gone through the program show Daisy's message resonates with them.

"We've been able to show Daisy makes a difference," Morrison said. "We know Daisy works...We realized in order to keep her thriving and impactful, we needed to make some changes."

In addition to updating Daisy's look, HAVEN worked with One of Us Films, producer Carrie Lezotte (pictured with Daisy right) and director Lora Probert (left), to create "Daisy Tells a Secret." Morrison said Lezotte and Probert, both young mothers, jumped whole-heartedly into the project, which will be expanded to include ASL and Spanish language versions, as well as materials for parents and teachers. "Daisy" is funded by Verizon Foundation , which includes domestic violence prevention in its mission.

During Thursday's premiere at the Palladium in Birmingham, which donated its facilities, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse had high praise for HAVEN's efforts to help children find the words to talk about a difficult subject, one many parents are reluctant to broach.

"I held onto secrets for many years," she said. "I went through most of my childhood with a secret I couldn't share with anyone."

Now, at age 56, Pam wondered, "If we had a Daisy when I was a child, I wonder how that would have changed my life?"