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After doing research and talking to experts,
Cabral found that while there were good
character-building, drug-awareness and
abuse-prevention programs for young people,
they almost exclusively targeted middle-
schoolers. Armed with the information she had
gathered—both from her sons and through
her research—Cabral decided to develop
a program which would educate kids from
kindergarten through college.
“The fact is, behaviors start younger, so
education must begin sooner,” Cabral says,
stressing the importance of guiding children
toward positive and healthy life choices at an
early age.
Cabral turned to friends and fellow moms
Michelle Cardini and Pam Baumann, and
asked for their thoughts on forming a program
to educate kids and parents about today’s
“heavy” topics. Cardini says everything Cabral
proposed made sense, thanks, in part, to a
parenting class Cardini had once taken that
recommended it is best to discuss a difficult
topic—like drugs or sex—by mentioning the
subject a full five years before your child
would typically be exposed to it. The idea is to
start the dialogue early and make sure it is an
ongoing conversation.
“You have to plant the seed early, when
they are still impressionable,” Cardini says.
“It became obvious that we—and most likely
our friends—didn’t know a lot of things our
kids are being exposed to. The need for a
comprehensive resource that informs
and educates parents on the serious
issues facing school-age children
today became very apparent.”
Baumann agrees. “With Kimberly’s
passion, we just knew it was an
important step to take.”
That was 2007. Nearly four years
later, MASK has become a resource for
parents in the greater Phoenix area.
The nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization
provides information on timely topics,
such as bullying, eating disorders and
Internet safety.
But it doesn’t end there. Thanks
to a variety of special programs—such as
Awareness Through the Arts, the Parent
“Safe Home” Pledge and Driving Contract—
MASK encourages parents, children, friends
and family members to become aware
of the important issues, open the lines
of communication, and strengthen their
commitment to creating safe, healthy and
nurturing environments.
MASK offers several program formats,
but perhaps the most impactful program
is their “Trauma Drill” presentation, which
stages real-life trauma reenactments at area
TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES/
MASK
founder Kimberly Cabral speaks
to an assembly of middle school
students about the latest trends in
drugs and substance abuse.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Tina Greggo
A SHOW OF HANDS/
As a part of their on-
going effort to raise awareness on the
issues and challenges facing children
today, MASK hosted a presentation to
local elementary school children on
the dangers of tobacco use. Designed
to engage students, the presentation
relies on student participation and
interaction to get the message across.
“In the end, we’re just moms. We
don’t have fancy titles before or after
our names, and we’re not saying we’ve
got it figured out. All we can do is be
the resource of information to provide
parents, kids and the community with
the knowledge and tools to help create
a safe and healthy environment.”
SPRING
2011
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