It's easy to understand why donations slow down during the late night and early morning hours of 28 Hours of Hope, but if you think about it, that is when we should be thinking about children who are being abused the most. The late night hours are when a lot of these children lay awake thinking about what they've been going through and worrying about what might happen the next day.

While you are going to bed in a safe place tonight, or waking up from a restful night's sleep, there are children all over Northern Colorado who aren't so lucky. They might be crying themselves to sleep after being physically, emotionally or sexually abused. They may be curled up in bed wondering why such horrible things are happening to them and what they have done to deserve it. Maybe they are afraid to fall asleep because they don't want another day to come and more abuse to happen to them. Perhaps they can't sleep because they wonder if they will be woken up in the middle of the night by their abuser.

No child should have to battle through this.

For most children, bedtime is a special time they get to bond with their parents. It's the time they get to calm down from the day before dozing off to a restful night's sleep filled with happy thoughts.

Overtime, the lack of good sleep takes a toll on the child, and in the years ahead it makes going to bed a tough thing even into adulthood.

The sooner we can help children in these terrible situations, the better. They deserve to have a happy, healthy childhood and be set up for a successful and fulfilling adult life.

So as you climb into bed tonight, or climb out in the morning, consider sending a donation in the honor of those children who didn't get to sleep in a safe and calm place. (Might I suggest, $10 for every hour of sleep you get/got during the 28 Hours of Hope?)

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