THE SHOALS-Shoals CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) have received an $11,140 grant from Wells Fargo Foundation to continue services for abused and neglected children in Colbert and Lauderdale County, Alabama.
CASA is a national movement of a volunteer-powered network of trained and supported individuals who believe that society has a fundamental obligation to protect children from abuse and neglect. CASA Volunteers are from all walks of life, people who believe that every child has the right to be safe, treated with dignity and respect, and to live in a permanent home. Formed locally in 2002, Shoals CASA trains and supports the work of Volunteer Advocates who are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don’t get lost in an overburdened legal and social service system or languish in inappropriate group or foster homes. For many abused children, their CASA Volunteer will be the one constant adult presence in their lives. “To give a child a CASA is to give them a voice, to give them a voice is to give them hope, to give them hope is to give them the world,” says Pamela (a former foster youth). CASA Volunteers are speaking up on behalf of abused and neglected children’s medical, psychological, educational, social and familial needs. Wells Fargo Foundation grant funding allows abused and neglected children to continue to have a CASA Volunteer and a voice of hope.
“It is a great tribute to the work of our CASA Volunteers when grantors see the positive outcomes that our incredible Advocates generate for children. When financial investors realize they become a part of a abused or neglected child’s success through a grant contribution to CASA – that’s when it’s clear to see that we’re doing the right thing in speaking up for these children,” says CASA Board President, Keith Medley. Still, too many abused and neglected children in Colbert and Lauderdale County do not have a CASA Volunteer. On average there are 250 children in foster care in the two-county area because they cannot live safely at home. Andrea Holt, Shoals CASA Executive Director stated “We are so grateful that Wells Fargo believes in the difference that CASA Volunteers make in the life of a child. The only way we can continue to work towards providing a Volunteer Advocate for each and every abused and neglected child in our community is with the help of our community.”
Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company with $1.8 trillion in assets, providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance through more than 8,700 locations and 13,000 ATMs, the internet and mobile banking across North America and internationally. Wells Fargo Foundation awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. Lori Powers, District Manager and Vice President for Wells Fargo, Northwest Alabama stated, “Wells Fargo supports organizations, such as Shoals CASA with their mission as we put our investments, our resources to work in our communities. I can’t think of a better investment than in our children, our future.” In addition to funding through the Foundation, Wells Fargo encourages its’ team members to create more resilient communities through volunteerism. “Local Wells Fargo team members give their time, talent, and personal financial resources to community causes important to them,” noted Shelia Sartin, Wells Fargo, Store Manager, Florence Square, AL. In 2015, 76,595 Wells Fargo team members reported community involvement and volunteer hours. The 1.86 million hours Wells Fargo team members volunteered marks the highest number of hours company employees have ever recorded in a single year.
If you would like more information on how to become a voice for abused and neglected children, please call Shoals CASA at (256) 765-0041 or the agency’s website at www.ShoalsCASA.org.
Media Release/Andrea Holt, Director
CASA
