A new motorcycle chapter in Fredericton is part of a national organization helping empower victims of abuse.
The Guardians of the Children Fredericton chapter officially launched in May. Members of the group are available anytime of the day or night to provide support to children who need protection.
Members of the group accompany children to court, help students work through bullying problems and educate people on how to recognize and properly respond to child abuse.
The group may look intimidating with their beards, motorcycles and nicknames embroidered on their vests, but they all believe in lending a helping hand to individuals and families who may not have any other resources available.
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For confidentiality and safety reasons, members of the group go by their nicknames. The chapter’s media relations coordinator ‘Sunshine’ says many members are survivors of abuse themselves, who want to provide the kind of support they wish they could have had.
Sunshine says the group will do whatever they can to make children feel comfortable — even staying outside a child’s home while they’re sleeping to provide a sense of comfort and security.
“We have a wonderful group of people from all walks of life and all reasons why they want to be here and to help and we all work together for the same goal and that’s to help kids, empower them, and let them see that there is a light beyond the darkness they’ve experience and hopefully we can help provide that,” Sunshine said.
Guardians of the Children sergeant at arms ‘Bull’ says he thinks it’s important for those who have experienced abuse to have a role model, or someone to lend an ear.
“They need somebody to talk to that’s impartial, and when you’re in amongst a family that has any type of abuse, an outsider is usually sometimes the best person to talk to,” Bull said.
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The organization initially started in Texas two decades ago and was first launched in 2014 in Winnipeg. The Fredericton chapter is currently the only one east of Montreal.
Sunshine says there has been some interest in starting one in Saint John, N.B., and there will also be one launching on Prince Edward Island in the near future.
Sunshine says the group can be contacted easily through their Facebook page and she herself will respond to any messages or inquiries. Bull says no one should hesitate to call or reach out to the chapter.
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