The Pennyrile Children’s Advocacy Center marked 25 years of serving children and families across western Kentucky Tuesday with a community breakfast focused on both celebration and continued need.
Held at the Pioneers Complex, the event brought together community leaders, law enforcement, educators and supporters to recognize the nonprofit’s work since its founding in 2001 and to honor the children it serves.
Executive Director Candra Barnett said the milestone reflects both progress and persistence.
The Hopkinsville-based center serves children who have experienced sexual and physical abuse across a nine-county region, providing forensic interviews, advocacy, therapy and medical referrals at no cost to families.
The organization operates under a multidisciplinary model that coordinates law enforcement, social services, prosecutors and medical professionals to reduce trauma and limit how many times a child must recount abuse.
In the past year alone, the center served 452 children—each representing a case where a child disclosed abuse and began the process of healing.
For staff, the anniversary proves decades of difficult but critical work.
Shelby Brown, a mental health associate at the center, said the milestone represents the voices of children who have come forward.
Brown said the center continues to expand services to meet demand, including increased therapy offerings and a satellite office in Madisonville.
The breakfast program highlighted the 452 children served in the past year, with speakers emphasizing that each number represents a life impacted.
Board member Jessica Cannon said the milestone is about more than statistics.
She noted that educators and other professionals play a critical role as mandated reporters, emphasizing the responsibility adults have to act when abuse is suspected.
“Because the truth is, it is our responsibility as adults to keep children safe,” she said.
The event also included recognition of community partners, including law enforcement officers who work alongside the center in child abuse investigations.
The 2026 Philip Meacham Believer Award, honoring dedication to protecting children and supporting victims, was presented to Detective Keith Whitehouse of the Muhlenberg County Sheriff’s Department.
Among those speaking was former board member Sherry Greene, who shared her experience as a grandmother of children who received services through the center.
Organizers said the breakfast also served as a launch point for continued growth, including a broader vision for future services and community engagement.
Brown emphasized that the center’s work depends not only on staff, but on the wider community.
“In the state of Kentucky, we are all mandated reporters,” she said. “It is our responsibility as adults… to look out for the children that we’re around.”
She encouraged residents to report suspected abuse, noting that adults are not responsible for investigating, but for ensuring children are protected.
The anniversary event was held during Child Abuse Prevention Month, supporting the center’s message that awareness and action remain a priority.
Barnett said while the organization is proud of its progress over the past quarter century, the mission continues.
“For 25 years, this center has been that place,” she said. “And the need for safe places for children to be heard is still here.”
