About Wanda Meade

As founder and creator of Finding Voice, Wanda has found a wonderful opportunity to combine her education and experience as a counselor, trainer, and teacher with her love of photography. This project has become her passion and she hopes to raise the collective consciousness about sexual abuse and to call communities to action for prevention. Wanda and her husband, Rex, reside in Upstate South Carolina – a place they have called home since 1972.

The Parenting Place offers support services to Upstate families!

The Parenting Place located between Easley and Pickens in Upstate South Carolina is in partnership with the Children’s Trust of South Carolina.  They offer services that support Upstate parents and families.  Services include….

HEALTHY FAMILIES

​Free, voluntary, weekly home visitation services using the research-based Healthy Families America model, helping young mothers have a safe, healthy […]

By |2023-04-29T13:08:44-05:00November 21st, 2014|Prevention|0 Comments

Grooming! The beginning of abuse.

I am passing along information that was posted in a recent blog from Darkness to Light www.D2L.org  They talk about the grooming behaviors that many perpetrators use.  Grooming is exactly what it implies…..building trust with the child and sometimes with family members in order to gain access to the child and create opportunities for […]

By |2023-04-29T13:08:45-05:00October 3rd, 2014|Prevention|0 Comments

Survivors Finding Voice Project seeks survivor stories

Thanks to a second individual artist grant from the Metropolitan Arts Council (Greenville, SC), I will be working on the next series of ten survivor story panels.  The original MAC grant and support from wonderful community sponsors and individuals gave me the opportunity to create the original 13 story panels to help raise awareness.  And […]

By |2014-09-26T14:51:46-05:00September 26th, 2014|Prevention|0 Comments

Military personnel and veterans with history of childhood trauma more likely to commit suicide

According to findings presented at the American Psychological Association annual meeting, suicidal behavior among service members and veterans may be more closely linked to past childhood traumas than to combat experiences and multiple deployments.

The National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah found that experiencing child abuse, being sexually victimized, and exhibiting suicidal […]

By |2014-08-20T13:52:22-05:00August 20th, 2014|Education|0 Comments

USC Upstate offering exciting new program for child protection professionals!

Beginning this fall, USC Upstate is offering a Certificate Program in Child Advocacy Studies designed for professionals already working in the child protection field and who wish to develop greater knowledge and skills.  The program is also open to those who are preparing for a career in this area.  According to Dr. Jennifer Parker, this […]

By |2014-07-23T15:30:04-05:00July 23rd, 2014|Education|0 Comments

Protect your children from online “Sextortion”

The headline reads, ‘Sextortion’  A crime against Children.  Pretending to be teens, on-line predators are luring teens to become “friends” and then they entice them….sometimes with promises of cell phones or clothes…..to send lewd photos of themselves.  Once this cycle begins there is the demand for “more or else.”   The victims….usually girls….are told that if […]

By |2014-07-17T08:46:26-05:00July 17th, 2014|Prevention, Tips to Stop Abuse|0 Comments

If your child is going to camp….

If your child is going to camp this summer, please ask the camp directors what procedures they have in place to keep the campers safe from sexual abuse.  Don’t be shy.  Ask specific questions about supervision of children by adults remembering that one-on-one opportunities are when abuse is mostly likely to occur.  Ask about any […]

By |2014-07-01T14:44:37-05:00July 1st, 2014|Prevention|0 Comments

South Carolina passes Erin’s Law!

South Carolina just became the 18th state to pass Erin’s Law.  Erin Merryn is a survivor of sexual abuse who has been traveling the country and speaking out to get legislation passed to help educate and prevent sexual abuse.  What does Erin’s Law do?  According to her website within the schools…. “With respect to the […]

By |2023-04-29T13:08:46-05:00June 25th, 2014|Latest News|0 Comments

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou will continue speaking to us across the ages…..the wisdom of her song informs us all.

A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer.  A bird sings because it has a song. 

You may not be able to control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by […]

By |2014-06-12T21:40:14-05:00May 29th, 2014|Recent Event, Thoughts|0 Comments

Children’s Law Center

Last month,  I attended a mandatory reporter training offered by the Children’s Law Center and Greenville Health System Children’s Hospital Children’s Advocacy Department.  The Children’s Law Center is a resource center for South Carolina professionals involved in child maltreatment or juvenile justice court proceedings and child advocates working to improve the safety and well-being of […]

By |2023-04-29T13:08:46-05:00May 17th, 2014|Advocacy, Recent Event|0 Comments