For a second year in a row, the Cranston Girl Scout Cadette Troop 1062 has teamed up with local groups to help spread awareness of child abuse during the month of April, which is Childhood Awareness Month.

For two years the group has helped to make hundreds of pinwheels, a common symbol of childhood.

“We made 100 pinwheels for child abuse prevention,” said Ashley Smedberg, one of the six members of the Girl Scout troop who worked tirelessly to handmake all of the pinwheels.

The troop worked together with the Cranston Women’s group, which is the local chapter of the General Federation of Women’s Groups, thanks to Lisa Carter, mom to scout Isabella Carter and her younger sister Gianna, a Daisy Girl Scout. DCYF is another sponsor of the project.

“This is the second year the troop has worked along with the Cranston Women’s Group,” said Lisa Carter.

The troop also worked with St. David’s on the Hill again this year, and several of the pinwheels were  “planted” in a garden on the grounds of the church each year.

The rest of the pinwheels were presented to Emily Brown, the Cranston Public Library’s Central Branch children’s librarian, last week.

“Because of the rain and bad weather last year, we opted to ‘plant’ a majority of the pinwheels indoors this year and the library allowed us to ‘plant’ them here,” said Karen Leach, president of the Cranston Women’s Group.

Troop leader Trish Vieira noted that in addition to spreading awareness, the pinwheels serve as a means of educating the public, teaching the community about child abuse and the support that is needed to keep families strong. However, she noted that she and her co-leader Lori Blais needed to be delicate when explaining the reason for the project to the scouts.

“I explained to my own daughter that just like there are bullies in school, sometimes it’s not just kids who bully; that parents bully kids, too,” she said.

Blais’ daughter Emily was one of the scouts who participated in the project.

Joining the Girl Scouts at the library presentation was Kate Begin, executive director for Prevent Child Abuse Rhode Island, who was thrilled to have the collaboration again this year. Betsy Rielly and Filomena Paolucci, both members of the Cranston Women’s Group, were also on hand.

“Rhode Island is the only state who still makes their pinwheels by hand,” Begin said proudly. “Last year the General Federation of Women’s Groups won the national award for the National Pinwheel Campaign. The General Federation of Women’s Groups also gave the first $5,000 towards the original campaign against Shaken Baby Syndrome. They helped to sign a prevention bill into law, backing the punishments for killing a baby by shaking.”

The pinwheels will be on display in the library, along with signs that explain the essence of the project. They will be on display throughout the month.