Piedmont CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Inc.
| Address |
818 East High Street Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 |
| Phone | (434) 971-7515 |
| Website | http://www.pcasa.org |
| Primary Contact | Susan Hoover |
| Primary Email | shoover@pcasa.org |
| Executive Director | Kate Duvall |
| Primary Focus Area | Children/Youth (non-education) |
| Service Areas |
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Mission Statement
Piedmont CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) screens, trains, and supports community volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children. CASA Volunteers conduct independent investigations and make recommendations to the judges regarding the children's best interests, promoting safe, permanent and nurturing homes.
Overview
According to Virginia.gov, every 75 minutes a child is reported as abused and neglected. Every two weeks, one dies of maltreatment.
It is hard enough for an adult not to know where their next meal is coming from, where they will sleep, how they will find medicine. For children whose most basic needs are severely threatened, the trauma can be irreparable.
These young victims need an advocate, someone to speak for them in court, someone to make sure that their health, safety, and educational needs are being met, someone to ensure that they find safe and permanent homes as quickly as possible. They need Piedmont CASA Volunteers.
Key Programs
| Program 1 | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Provide Advocates for Abused and Neglected Children |
| Description: | WHO ARE CASA CHILDREN? The children we serve range in age from newborn to 18 ... they live in Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Greene, and Louisa ... and they are victims of abuse and neglect. The worst cases end up in court, and that’s when judges appoint Piedmont CASA Volunteers to represent the best interests of the children - hundreds of them each year. WHAT DO CASA VOLUNTEERS DO? Piedmont CASA Volunteers are the eyes and ears of the court. They meet regularly with the children, conduct independent investigations, attend hearings, submit written reports to the court along with recommendations, and monitor the cases to assure that the court’s orders are implemented and that the children are receiving all needed services. |
| Examples of Program Success: | WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES CASA MAKE? Research shows that children with CASA Volunteers spend less time in court, less time in foster homes, and find safe and permanent homes faster - all keys to breaking the vicious cycle of abuse and neglect. The difference our CASA Volunteers make is also measured in good health and safe homes. It’s measured in smiles and hope. It’s measured one child at a time – because the future of our children is the future of our community. No other organization performs this service, and we do not charge fees. WHAT'S IT WORTH IN DOLLARS? According to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, the hours our CASA Volunteers contributed in fiscal year 2015 are worth $195,689.10. (7,859 hours x $24.90 per hour). THE COST OF NOT DOING ANYTHING A child who has been abused and neglected suffers from a lifetime of health problems such as improper brain development, impaired learning, blindness, cerebral palsy, head trauma, anxiety, smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse, and higher risks for heart, lung, and liver diseases as well as obesity, cancer, and high blood pressure. In the course of that child’s lifetime, those health costs add up to an average of $210,012. Multiply that by the number of children who are abused and neglected in a single year and those medical problems are costing the US $124 billion. |
Giving Opportunities
| Opportunity 1 | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Become a Piedmont CASA Volunteer |
| Description: | Join us in helping abused and neglected children in our community - become a Piedmont CASA Volunteer. To learn more, come to one of our Information Sessions. They are held in our office on the first Thursday of every month, one at noon and one at 6pm. Each session is about an hour. To register, please call us at 434-971-7515, or email volunteer@pcasa.org. |
| Opportunity 2 | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Support Piedmont CASA Volunteers |
| Description: | ONLINE DONATIONS Please visit our secure Network for Good donation page. Just go to our website and click the "Give" button, or copy this web address and put it in your browser: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/piedmontcasa GIFTS BY CHECK Piedmont CASA 818 East High St. Charlottesville, VA 22902 GIFTS OF STOCK Donations may be made through the mail or online at our website. Please call if you have any questions. QUESTIONS? If you have any questions or need more information, please email support@pcasa.org THANK YOU! |
| Opportunity 3 | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Help Spread the Word |
| Description: | Anytime your group would like to hear more about Piedmont CASA, just give us a call, or send an email to volunteer@pcasa.org. |
| Opportunity 4 | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Help Tell the Story With Kids4Kids |
| Description: | Kids4Kids is a gallery of artwork donated by children in our community to help tell the story of Piedmont CASA kids. You can see them in our annual reports, newsletters, social media - and on this website with the flying WooHoo Dragon! If you'd like us to set up a "studio" at one of your events, or if your class or school would like to donate drawings to the gallery, just give us a call and ask for Lexie. Or email volunteer@pcasa.org |