|
About Us
|
|
|
Child Advocacy is a non-profit agency with a mission to improve the welfare of children and their families through education, training, and support for the prevention of substance abuse and child abuse and neglect.
Our Staff
Audra Stahl
Executive Director
Pam Mahin
Office Manager
Ty Warczinsky
GCSAC Coordinator
Richelle Davis
Prevention Educator
Michelle Zombeck
CASA Coordinator
Heather Gardner
CAC Coordinator
Heather Therrien
CAC Case Coordinator
Staci Bigelow
Event/Volunteer Coordinator
Board of Directors
President
Wes Wickes
Youth for Christ
Vice President
Jennifer Leppien
CASA
Treasurer
Carolyn Studley
Community Representative
Secretary
Kelly Piotrowski
Dept. of Human Services
Steve Benn
Detective/Sgt.
MI State Police
Sara Bonacci
Sara Bonacci Photography
Wendy Currie
Mid MI District Health Dept
Colleen Davis
Prosecuting Attorney's Office
Rob DuHadway
DuHadway Dance Dimensions
Tammy Halfmann
Mercantile Bank
David Justin
Alma School Board
Mike Morris
Detective, Gratiot Co. Sheriff's Dept.
Jamie Richardson
Doehring Schultz Insurance Agency
Matt Schooley
City of Alma Transportation
Jennifer Siefker
Jennifer Stambaugh
DeafBlind Central CMU
Steve Vernon
Gratiot Co. Comm. Mental Health
Joe Yourchock
Community Representative
|
| Car Seat Safety |
| |
Did you know that at Child Advocacy we can install and provide a safety inspection for your child safety seat? Child Advocacy has a nationally certified safety seat technician available!
To make an appointment call
989-463-1422
or 800-552-4489
|
|
Permanent Prescription Drug Drop Off
Site
Gratiot Co. Sheriff
226 E. Center
Ithaca
open 24 hrs./day
7 days/week
Alma Police Dept.
525 E. Superior St.
Hours
8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Monday - Friday
Breckenridge Police Dept.
104 E. Saginaw St.
Hours
8:00 a.m.- 5:00
p.m.
Monday - Friday
St. Louis Police Dept.
108 W. Saginaw St.
Hours
Mon. 7 - 3
Tues. - Fri. 8 - 4
These sites accept
prescription pills and patches.
|
|
Program Needs
Gas Cards
to help cover the cost for medical travel to Grand Rapids or help with transportation of foster children.
Gift Cards to Walmart and Meijer to purchase the specific needs of a child.
Drawing Paper
Puzzles
New Children's Books
Play-dough
Games for younger children to play
Capri Sun Juice Box's
Bottled Water
Community donations help the quality of our programs and are greatly appreciated. Donations can be made directly at Child Advocacy or by contacting our office. (989) 463-1422
|
|
|
|
Your Feedback!
"I wanted to take a minute to thank you for all the work you + Child Advocacy do to make our community a better + safer place for our children + families - I know it's a huge job!"
Thank You Card from Alma Community Member
|
|
|
|
Happy Mother's Day!
Child Advocacy has a lot to offer in the month of May!
We are hosting our Superhero 5K, annual banquet, and
CASA and GCSAC will be hosting "T
elling Their Stories" art show. Details of these events are below.
Come out and show your support by attending one of these awesome events!
Enjoy,
Child Advocacy Staff
|
|
Upcoming Events
Child Advocacy Superhero 5K
Run/Walk/Fly
Saturday, May 7 at 9:00 a.m.
Alma Armory, 710 N. State St.
Walk in registration available
Superhero costumes are encouraged but are not required!
Our race will be using Chip Timing, which is NEW this year!
Contact Child Advocacy at (989)463 -1422 for event questions or registration information.
Prescription Opioid Abuse: A First Step in Heroin Use?
Community Education & Engagement
Wednesday, May 11
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Alma High School Auditorium
1500 N. Pine Ave. - Alma
Who should attend: Parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches and school personnel.
Registration for this FREE event is not required.
Please contact Ty Warczinsky at (989)463-1422 for additional information.
Child Advocacy Banquet
Wednesday, May 18
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Central Michigan Youth for Christ - Alma
$12/person - Lunch Buffet
Please join us for lunch as we present the following awards:
Child Advocate of the Year
Child Advocate Organization of the Year
Please call the Child Advocacy office at (989) 463-1422 to purchase tickets in advance.
|
|
Summer Safety Reminders
By: Richelle Davis
Prevention Educator
As the school year winds down, so does the Protect Yourself Program. At the end of this year, the Protect Yourself program will have been taught to 920 students in Gratiot County. If you have a first or third grader in Gratiot County I have been in their classroom for a five week period teaching them a variety of lessons focused on empowering students on how to keep themselves safe.
The lessons consist of: strangers and dangerous situations, instincts, tricks and lures, good touch/bad touch, and who to tell. Once summer begins, many children's schedules change and they may be left alone, and may spend time with a variety of different people. Please continue to discuss these issues with your child.
The personal safety rules we teach every child are:
1. Say "No"
2. Get Away
3. Tell Someone
These rules apply to strangers as well as sexual predators. Your child has been taught that they are the "boss of their body", and to always tell someone if anyone gives them touches in their personal private body parts, hurtful touches, or unwanted touches. It is important to reinforce these issues with your child and to make it an ongoing conversation. Let's work together to ensure you and your child have a safe and fun-filled summer!
|
By: Heather Gardner
CAC Coordinator
Many members of the
Children's Advocacy Center's Multidisciplinary Team traveled to Traverse City this month for our annual conference. The keynote speaker this year was Matthew Sandusky. Matthew
is the adopted son of Jerry Sandusky.
The Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal was one of the most highly publicized sex abuse cases in history. During the trial, Matthew disclosed that his adopted father, Jerry Sandusky from ages 10-16, sexually abused him. Matthew's disclosure interview, to police, was leaked to the media. He and his family were placed in the center of a media firestorm.
Through the traumatic experiences Matthew has experienced he has decided to take on the role of advocate for child sexual abuse survivors. Matthew is giving survivors a voice to raise awareness to an epidemic that still remains mostly silent. He is also showing survivors there is hope and that healing does happen.
Founder of Peaceful Hearts Foundation, along with his wife Kim, Matthew helps promote stronger statute of limitation laws, education for children, stronger mandated reporter laws, and other legislation as the need arises. He hopes that by telling his story he is able to show survivors that hope always exists and that healing will happen. "We have been broken, but with Love and Support, we will rebuild and become stronger than we ever could have imagined".
Matthew Sandusky attended Penn State University, studying Business. He was married in 2011 to his wife Kim. They still currently reside in State College, PA along with their five children.
|
2016 Alumni Basketball Game
Thank you everyone for an incredible night! We raised $4758 from the game for Child Abuse Prevention and another $2426 to be split between our CASA program and the Children's Advocacy Center on the Raffle!! This is amazing!!
All 3 of these programs work to improve the welfare of children and their families!
Thank you to our Sponsors, the Players, Pom Squad (big and small), DuHadway Dance Dimensions, Cindy Hicks and the Middle School Volunteers, Alma High School for allowing us to use the gym, Alma Sports Boosters, AHS Chamber Singers, Topher Goggin, Doug Yarnell, Alex Stahl, Brandi Zoss, the staff at Child Advocacy, and everyone who came out to support us!!! Thank you!!!!
Raffle Winners -
$25 Wal-mart Gift Card - Amanda LeBaron
Great Wolf Lodge - Brad Lemerand
Dell Laptop Computer - Andrea Roslund
Congratulations to all the Winners!!!
|
|
2016 Dance Experience
On April 16th we held our annual Dance Experience Event. Dancers from the
DuHadway Dance Dimensions Elite Team wrote a YAC grant, and were awarded $700
for the event.
DuHadway Dance partnered with Child Advocacy for the 3rd year to
offer a morning of dance to over 60 Gratiot County youth. Participants learned
ballet, hip hop, and jazz. They also enjoyed performances by the Elite Team
Dancers, made their own tu-tu or capes, enjoyed a snack, and received a t-shirt
and certificate of participation.
Thank you to the Gratiot County Community
Foundation, Screen and Stitch, and DuHadway Dance Dimensions for sponsoring this
wonderful event!
|
S
cheduled Classes
Foster/Adoptive/Relative Care Support Group
Tuesday, May 10
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Central Michigan Youth for Christ - Alma
Please call our office at (989) 463-1422 to register for the class.
|
|
Thank you for reading our newsletter!
We hope to see you at one of our events in May!
Please follow our Facebook Page for up-to-date information on programs, events, classes, and of course PICTURES!! We post pictures from all of our events on our Facebook page.
Read our June newsletter to see who won our Child Advocate of the Year, and Organization of the Year awards!
Happy May Day, Cinco De Mayo, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day!
Sincerely,
Audra Stahl
Executive Director
|
|
| |
|
