Missing person resource center begins fundraising
http://cjonline.com/news/2012-04-14/missing-person-resource-center-begins-fundraising
Posted: April 14, 2012 - 6:25pm
By
MANHATTAN — A small group of
Manhattan volunteers have established an organization to increase
awareness for missing individuals and promote safety and preventative
education.
Now, they are seeking donations to pay for a place to set up their 24-hour resource center/headquarters and cover operating costs.
“We need $3.87 million by the end of the year for the building and operations,” volunteer Stephanie Coplen said. “We’re looking for a location now.”
Media for the Missing, the nonprofit organization, will take information about missing and unidentified people supplied by law enforcement, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, The Charley Project, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and other related agencies and make it available to the general public through its website, brochures and nationwide touch-screen kiosk system set up in high-traffic locations, such as welcome centers, truck stops or medical facilities.
The U.S. Department of Justice indicates 2,300 people are reported missing every day. Coplen said 89 people are missing or unidentified in Kansas.
“It’s recognition through repetition,” she said, adding the more often people see a photo of a missing person, the more likely the individual will be recognized and authorities alerted. “We want people to be safe, not statistics.”
Coplen said the organization will provide “equal and adequate exposure of all people,” including the homeless, the elderly and minority groups.
Information provided on its website, www.mediaforthemissing.org, includes missing alerts, information about missing people, self-defense videos of how to escape attackers, safety tips, state laws and legislation regarding missing people and information about related organizations.
Media for the Missing doesn’t take calls about or investigate missing people reports, she said.
Long-term plans include expanding outside of Kansas, a missing person marathon and a billboard system with missing person information.
Donations for Media for the Missing can be made by going to its website and clicking on the “Donate” button.
Now, they are seeking donations to pay for a place to set up their 24-hour resource center/headquarters and cover operating costs.
“We need $3.87 million by the end of the year for the building and operations,” volunteer Stephanie Coplen said. “We’re looking for a location now.”
Media for the Missing, the nonprofit organization, will take information about missing and unidentified people supplied by law enforcement, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, The Charley Project, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and other related agencies and make it available to the general public through its website, brochures and nationwide touch-screen kiosk system set up in high-traffic locations, such as welcome centers, truck stops or medical facilities.
The U.S. Department of Justice indicates 2,300 people are reported missing every day. Coplen said 89 people are missing or unidentified in Kansas.
“It’s recognition through repetition,” she said, adding the more often people see a photo of a missing person, the more likely the individual will be recognized and authorities alerted. “We want people to be safe, not statistics.”
Coplen said the organization will provide “equal and adequate exposure of all people,” including the homeless, the elderly and minority groups.
Information provided on its website, www.mediaforthemissing.org, includes missing alerts, information about missing people, self-defense videos of how to escape attackers, safety tips, state laws and legislation regarding missing people and information about related organizations.
Media for the Missing doesn’t take calls about or investigate missing people reports, she said.
Long-term plans include expanding outside of Kansas, a missing person marathon and a billboard system with missing person information.
Donations for Media for the Missing can be made by going to its website and clicking on the “Donate” button.
Read Jan's blog: Northeast-Kansas-News.
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