CASA receives a $100,000 grant from Gulf Coast community Foundation

GULFPORT, MS – Gulf Coast Community Foundation awarded $1,139,684 from the 3rd round of grants to fourteen coast non-profit agencies through the Fund for Gulf Communities to assist coast non-profit agencies meet the unmet needs of families and individuals affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  A check presentation ceremony was held on December 19, 2011 at 11:00 AM in the Knight Non-profit Center in Gulfport. The Jackson Co. CASA received $100,000. Learn More

Group Hopes to Clear Hurdles for Foster Care Children

Nov 5th, 2011
South Mississippi -- Currently there are more than 3,300 children in foster care throughout the state, 300 of those children are in Harrison County according to CASA.

There is a new group forming in South Mississippi to help clear hurdles for these children in the care of the Department of Human Services. Kea Theroux is tasked with coordinating Fostering Mississippi Youth Connections.

"When you are in foster care, your 18th birthday is like the worst day of your life because 18 and day one they tell you adios," Theroux explains.

She knows this all too well, "My foster mom only took teenage girls, so when my 18th birthday was approaching I asked her, 'So what do other girls do?' And she said, 'They got a boyfriend.' I did what every girl that had lived in there did, I went and got a boyfriend and moved in with him," Theroux said.

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Link to Story at SunHerald.com

United Way sets 2011 campaign goal at $2M

Sept 3rd, 2011
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Organizers of the 2011 United Way of Jackson and George Counties kicked off this year's campaign at the Pascagoula School District's Family Interactive Center on Friday.

"United We Win" is the theme for this year's campaign. A variety of community leaders were recognized, seven grants were awarded and the campaign's chair Richard Lucas and co-chair Pam Lindsey -- dressed as Monopoly board game characters, Rich "Uncle" Penney Bag and Miss Monopoly, respectively -- unveiled the campaign's goal of $2 million.

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CASA Volunteer Selected for 2011 GIVE Award

April 8th, 2011
CASA volunteer Debbie Braudis was selected for the 2011 Governor's Initiative of Volunteer Excellence Award.

»South MS Living Mag (Aug '11)
»Read Story at Clarion Ledger.com
»Clarion Ledger Story PDF
»MS Press Story JPG

Marine Employee Donates Toy to CASA

April 2011
United States Marine, Inc. employee Don Ritter donated toys to Jackson County CASA for children. Alderman Chic Cody of Ocean Springs facilitated in the delivery of the toys to the Jackson County CASA office.

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MOSS POINT'S EXCELEBRATION!

Date: 03/26/2011
Times: 9am - 2pm
Location: Riverfront Park - Downtown Moss Point
Contact: Ms. Patrice McCullum - Certification Manager
Phone: 228-475-7101
Admission: Free!

Enjoy the quaint hometown FUN and the EXCELebration with an event featuring lots of family fun, activities for young children, food, and music! Come help Moss Point celebrate its certification as a certified early childhood community!

Jackson County CASA is Celebrating Adoption

Date: November 20, 2010
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Location: M & M Bank, 3118 Pascagoula Street, Pascagoula, MS

Please join Jackson County CASA in “Celebrating Adoption,” a public awareness event honoring National Adoption Day.

Each year in the United States, 123,000 children in foster care are waiting to be adopted by permanent, loving families. National Adoption Day raises the public’s awareness of the ever-growing need for loving, adoptive homes for these deserving children. Your involvement will help place adoption in the spotlight by reaching families who may choose to adopt.

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Jackson County CASA Received National Certification Recognizing the Quality of Its Work for Abused and Neglected Children

8/24/2010 - Pascagoula, MS – The Jackson County CASA, Inc. of Pascagoula, MS has just been awarded certification by the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association. This certification recognizes that Jackson County CASA is in compliance with National CASA’s high standards for quality child advocacy.

According to Michael Piraino, CEO of the National CASA Association, “The National CASA quality assurance process is very rigorous, and reflects our commitment to ensure every child we serve has the most powerful volunteer advocate working on their behalf. This certification says Jackson County CASA has demonstrated to us a strong capacity to provide excellent services to the abused and neglected children within their community.”

Jackson County CASA, Inc. was established in 1985. Jackson County, Pascagoula, Mississippi was the first site of the CASA Programs in the state. Today, we are leading the way in of all local programs in the state in numbers of volunteers and support from the community!

Honorable Sharon W. Sigalas stated “for many years, the CASA volunteers have helped guide many families through the difficult and often confusing youth court process. They have been the eyes and ears for the Court, always keeping the Court informed of the needs of the children they serve. Volunteers constantly go above and beyond the CASA requirements in an effort to serve the families of Jackson County. The Jackson County Youth Court would be lost without the CASA program and it’s wonderful volunteers”.

Today, there are more than 950 National CASA member programs across the country, with more than 70,000 men and women serving as CASA volunteers. Jackson County CASA is an agency of United Way of Jackson & George Counties.

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Court Appointed Special Advocate Volunteers Provide Haven for Children in Court System for Past 25 Years

3/2/2010 - Pascagoula, MS 
by: Susan Stachowski
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pg 38
South MS Living
March 2010

Abused and Neglected Children Will Benefit from Jewelers for Children Grant to Jackson County CASA, Inc.

1/20/2010 - Pascagoula, MS 
The Jackson County CASA of Pascagoula, Jackson County was recently awarded a $15,000 grant from Jewelers for Children (JFC) to increase the number of volunteers who represent the best interests of abused and neglected children in court. The award to Jackson County CASA is part of a $500,000 grant that JFC made to the National CASA Association. Through a competitive re-granting process, all of this funding has been awarded to local CASA and GAL programs that recruit, train and supervise volunteers advocating for children in foster care. {download entire press release}

5 Graduate Child Advocacy Program [view gallery]

6/23/2009 –By April M. Havens

PASCAGOULA Jackson County's Court Appointed Special Advocates for children welcomed five new volunteers Monday afternoon.

CASA is an organization that takes on cases of abused and neglected children to act as an extra set of eyes and ears for the Jackson County Youth Court. CASA volunteers spend time with the children, their families and others, which helps them make recommendations for the child in court.

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Volunteers honored at United Way ceremony; CASA receives community service team award.

4/23/2009 –By AMBER CRAIG

PASCAGOULA Three men and woman, two youth and two civic organizations were among the honorees Thursday at the 22nd annual Volunteers are Important People event sponsored by the United Way of Jackson and George Counties.

The volunteers were honored during a ceremony at LaFont Inn in Pascagoula for their service to the community.

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Jackson County CASA to Host 'Stroke for Hope' Golf Tournament

4/9/2009 – April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Jackson County Court Appointed Special Advocates (or CASA) is raising money to help to end the cycle of child abuse in our community by hosting the 1st Annual Stroke for Hope Golf Tournament on April 18th, 2009.

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Child advocacy group needs money to continue work

By Patrice Clark
4/14/2009 –The Court Appointed Special Advocates say more than 1600 cases of child abuse were reported in Jackson County in 2007.

"There are too many cases out there where there is no love, where the child doesn't know how to love," Robert Standfield said.

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"Dreams Do Come True" Fundraiser a Success!

3/19/2009 - Over 350 member of the community filled the Jackson Co. Civic Center Tuesday night to support two local non-profit programs - CASA and the Jackson Co. Drug Court. The sit-down dinner was only part of the 2-hour fundraiser which included a silent auction, door prizes, and various entertainers including special guest Jenny Nolen, Alabama's Funniest Lady. Celebrity waiters and waitresses topped off the fun. Roughly $8000 was made and will be spilt evenly between the programs.

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