The Early Chamber of Commerce presents benefit proceeds to CASA at the Family Services Center Tuesday from the 2nd Annual KTAB Spring Swing Golf Tournament held May 19 & 20, 2012. Listed from left to right starting in front row Tim Espinoza, Gina Jameson, Michelle Wells (Executive Director C.A.S.A.), Merisha Parvis, Amanda Hayden, Mika Howard, Lisa Callihan, Rebecca Mendoza Pate, Marquis Robertson, Ronald Isom, Helen Tatum, Stephanie Johnston, and Becky Smith.
CASA is a nonprofit organization appointed by the judge in cases of child abuse and/or neglect to be the voice of the child throughout the process of their case. Many times when children are removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect, they have many CPS caseworkers, therapist, and other people in and out of their lives, and they have no voice, or not much, in what happens to them. With the overwhelming number of cases, it is hard for a child not to “slip through the cracks” of the system. When a CASA (court appointed special advocate) is appointed by the judge, they are volunteers who will ideally get to know the children and other people in the case and stay with that case until its conclusion. Many times they are the only constant in the child’s life. Donations help the organization be able to train more CASA volunteers, to give more children a voice.
