July, 2009

Louisiana CASA Awarded Grant by Winn Dixie Foundation

On July 29, 2009, The Winn-Dixie Foundation held a press conference to award Louisiana CASA and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center grants for $10,000 each in a Winn-Dixie in Prairieville. Below are pictures from the event. You can click on each image to enlarge.

CASA volunteers devoted to children

This is a sample from the article. The full article can be read here

HAMMOND — Since becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate more than eight months ago, Susan Norris has made it her mission to speak up for abused and neglected children.

As a mother of four, Norris said she believes it’s her duty to help those who can’t help themselves.

Norris became a volunteer after reading a local newspaper article asking for people in the community to step up to the challenge for Child Advocacy Services.

Child Advocacy Services is a private, nonprofit umbrella agency that provides services through the CASA program, Children’s Advocacy Center program, and other services supporting their mission to give voice, healing and security to children.

According to http://www.childadv.net, Child Advocacy Services offers advocacy and clinical services for children and families in 10 southeastern Louisiana parishes including Ascension, Assumption, East and West Feliciana, Livingston, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John and Tangipahoa parishes.

CASA recruits, trains and supervises volunteers who serve as powerful voices for abused and neglected children as they navigate through the court system. CASA volunteers are community members appointed by a judge to advocate, on a one-on-one basis, for children in need of care.

CASA volunteers also report to the judge and others in the child welfare system on the child’s behalf with the primary goal of helping them reach a safe and permanent home.

Currently, the agency has more than 40 active volunteers assigned to cases, but it’s not enough to meet the demand for CASA services, officials said.

Child Advocacy Services’ goal is to have a volunteer on every case.

Since becoming a volunteer, Norris has worked on two cases, one involving ages 6-8 years olds, and another involving a 16 year old.

“The first time I got the case, I cried,” Norris said. “The second time I read it, I cried. On the visit, I cried.”

However difficult, Norris said she believes it is her job to make sure the children are safe.

“At the end of the day, that’s what matters,” Norris said.