In the month of September, the Children’s Advocacy Alliance wants to express our gratitude to the many volunteers who align themselves with our organization! As a nonprofit agency, we could not survive without the dedication of our volunteers and their tireless efforts. We have several sets of volunteers that help keep our programs and services to abused and neglected children going in the communities we serve. Board members, CASA volunteers, Friends and others who invest their time and talents helping our agency are so vital to provide hope and healing to the abused and neglected children we serve. While often words are not enough to show the depth of our appreciation, we do want to share a few words to say “Thank You” for all you do!
Our Board is comprised of 13 men and women from our community who have committed themselves to oversee the entire spectrum of the Children’s Advocacy Alliance (CAA). They adopt and implement the policies and procedures that define our agency. We are two programs working hand in hand to provide comprehensive services for the investigation, treatment, support and permanent placement of child victims of abuse and neglect within a five-county region. The Board oversees the overall operations of the CAA and is committed to do whatever it takes to generate the needed funds to not only meet the needs of those who benefit from our services, but to exceed in all manners possible. The Board members attend trainings throughout the year in order to stay on top of changing laws and practices within our culture. We are very grateful to each Board Member who does their part to spread our mission within our five county service area.
The heart and soul of the CASA 20th Judicial District is our volunteer advocates! Our CASA program services the foster children in Faulkner, Van Buren and Searcy counties. An advocate begins their relationship with the CAA by first going through an extensive interview process, background checks and upon approval, complete of at least 30 hours of training. Once an individual invests that amount of time, they are excited to meet their first foster child who needs their voice in court. The level of commitment from these volunteers is amazing. They begin this journey oftentimes without realizing how passionate they will become in their diligent work for these children. The world is definitely a better place because of the sacrifices made by these advocates to meet the needs of the children they represent. We are always recruiting new advocates and encourage anyone with a passion for helping foster children to contact our office for more information. A very special thank you to these selfless advocates who help provide for the needs of our children.
Another very important group of volunteers are our Friends who began as “Friends of CASA” by organizing the Festival of Chairs as a fundraiser and to build awareness of the work of CASA 20th Judicial District. This group of dedicated women have single handedly grown the Festival of Chairs to become one of the largest events in the Conway area. The Festival of Chairs event provides the funding for 20% of our annual budget. The exposure these ladies have created in our community is phenomenal. We are so grateful for their tireless commitment to raising money for the CAA and for sharing our mission across the area.
We have other volunteers who support our agency with their time, talents and monetary support. The CAA relies upon the generosity of community individuals, businesses and corporations to help make our vision a reality in the lives of children and families. There is no way to begin listing the names of this vast group of volunteers, but our hearts are continually warmed by their willingness to donate their skills, abilities and resources to the success of the CAA. For each of you who are often our “unsung heroes” please know that we recognize your gifts and know your make us stronger by sharing with us.
Volunteers are such a vital part of any organization. The Children’s Advocacy Alliance is no exception. We always have an open door for our volunteers as well as for anyone who desires to come along beside us to provide hope and justice for abused and neglected children. Our staff could not complete the job alone. All kind deeds meet real needs. Thank you again for your service, dedication, commitment and heart for the Children’s Advocacy Alliance.