Child Enrichment

You can #ChangeAChildsStory by being a #CASAVolunteer. Learn more today by visiting our website at https://www.childenrichment.org/casa-volunteer-training and impact the life of a child in foster care right here in our community. Please share this posting and tell others about the CASA volunteer opportunity! #CASA #ChildAdvocacy #FosterCareAwareness #Volunteer

There's a child in foster care in our community waiting for a volunteer like you. What are you waiting for? Consider becoming a CASA volunteer. To learn more, contact us today: www.childenrichment.org/casa-volunteer-training. Please share this posting! #CASA #ChangeAChildsStory #ChildAdvocacy #FosterCareAwareness #Volunteer

Child Enrichment truly has the BEST board members who support our organization and the kids we serve in so many different and creative ways! At our board happy hour this evening, we talked at length about our big fundraisers (you know who you are!) who not only support us generously themselves but are not going to let a single business contact go another day without knowing about the life-changing work that Child Enrichment does! Just as critically, each of our board members generously gives of their own talents and skills- from gorgeous graphic design work to painting, accounting, being a connector, legal advice, lending their medical perspective, event organizing, weekly volunteer work, and so much more!!! We truly are so fortunate to have these incredible individuals leading us! Speaking of fundraising, “the Bells” (Summer and David, no relation) share a birthday month in addition to a last name. Each year, they compete to see who can raise the most money during their birthday month. This year, they were both defeated with a sneak attack by a board newcomer- Dr. April Hartman! David promised that if he personally raised $1,000 from his friends and family, he would take a pie to the face again this year to celebrate. Enjoy!

Every year, 144 volunteers (and climbing!) in our community help change the lives of children in foster care by serving as CASA volunteers. Learn more today about the CASA volunteer opportunity by contacting us: www.childenrichment.org. Please share this posting! #CASA #ChangeAChildsStory #ChildAdvocacy #FosterCareAwareness #Volunteer

Last night, 11 new CASA volunteers were sworn into our program by Judge Chanette Lewis! They have spent hours each week over the last month learning how best to be a voice for local children in foster care. Congratulations and a big thank you for standing up to change a child's story who needs you! Welcome to: April Beerhalter Darrell Byrd Cachina Cheely Kirsten Conrad Yolanda Douglas Hemali Fuller Victoria Gilmore Dora Johnson LaToya Lewis Montie Maners Mary Sicard

CASA volunteers advocate for the best interests of children experiencing foster care, including recommendations specific to temporary and permanent placements, ultimately with the goal of reunifying the child with family whenever possible. Learn more about the CASA volunteer opportunity in our community by contacting us today: childenrichment.org. Please share this posting for others to learn about the CASA program. #CASA #ChildAdvocacy #ChangeAChildsStory #FosterCareAwareness #Volunteer

It’s the last day of National Forensic Interviewers Week! This week, we’ve introduced you to each of our amazing forensic interviewers who shared either their favorite part of being an interviewer or a fact you may not know about forensic interviewing. While the term “forensic interview” may sound scary, the CAC is a child-friendly environment where children can tell their stories and know their needs will be the priority. The content can be dark, but especially with interviewers as wonderful as ours, the process is not as heavy as you may think! We have one last forensic interviewer for you to meet: Kari, our Executive Director! She has done an astounding 1,400 interviews in her time at Child Enrichment and even trains other forensic interviewers in the state in the ChildFirst model. Check out the video for her insights on forensic interviewing and why it's a big part of the need for our new building. Thanks for learning with us this week!

It’s the last day of National Forensic Interviewers Week! This week, we’ve introduced you to each of our amazing forensic interviewers who shared either their favorite part of being an interviewer or a fact you may not know about forensic interviewing. We'll introduce our last two interviewers today, starting with Nicole, our awesome Thomson local celeb! While the term “forensic interview” may sound scary, the CAC is a child-friendly environment where children can tell their story and know their needs will be the priority. The content can be dark, but especially with interviewers as wonderful as ours, the process is not as heavy as you may think! Have other questions about forensic interviewing? Let us know in the comments!

We're excited to share that on Thursday, eight wonderful new CASA volunteers were sworn into our CASA program to advocate for the best interests of children in foster care! We are so grateful to you all for stepping up to serve kids in our community who have been waiting for a volunteer like you. Welcome to the Child Enrichment CASA Family; we are so lucky ☘️ to have you all! Please join us in congratulating: Renee Morrow Lynn Smith Becky Hunt Sandy Swanson Evelyn Wratee-Woods Kristy D'Abruzzo Mia Murria Doris Freeman #BrighterDaysAhead #ChangeaChildsStory

Children in foster care need advocates to help them have the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential with the support of permanent connections to family. What are you waiting for? Contact us to learn more: https://www.childenrichment.org/casa-volunteer-training. Please share this posting and tell others about the CASA volunteer opportunity. #ChangeAChildsStory #CASA #ChildAdvocacy #FosterCareAwareness #Volunteer

Children in foster care need someone like you to advocate for their best interests, including educational needs. Contact us to learn more: https://www.childenrichment.org/casa-volunteer-training. Please share this posting and tell others about the CASA volunteer opportunity. #ChangeAChildsStory #CASA #ChildAdvocacy #FosterCareAwareness #Volunteer

Thank you and congratulations to our latest CASA Volunteers who will be the voice for a local child in foster care! We had volunteers sworn in in all three circuits we serve- the Augusta Judicial Circuit, the Columbia Judicial Circuit, and the Toombs Judicial Circuit. Thank you to Judge Spencer and Judge Lewis in Augusta, Judge Evans in Columbia County, and Judge Jones in Toombs for swearing in our new volunteers. A big welcome to Holly Edgerton, David Wright, Deniese Williams, Lauren Tingle, and Tamara Reid! Our next CASA Volunteer training will be March March 1st-24th. Visit our website and fill out the inquiry form to sign up today so we can get the process started to get you into the March class! https://www.childenrichment.org/casa-volunteer-training

As we're in the first month of the new year, consider the CASA volunteer opportunity! As a CASA volunteer, you will advocate for the best interests of a child or youth in foster care. Contact us to learn more: childenrichment.org or (706)737-4631. Please share this posting and tell others about the CASA volunteer opportunity. #ChangeAChildsStory #CASA #ChildAdvocacy #FosterCareAwareness #Volunteer

There's a child in foster care waiting on a volunteer like you. What are you waiting for? Contact us to learn more: childenrichment.org or (706)737-4631. Please share this posting and tell others about the CASA volunteer opportunity. #ChangeAChildsStory #CASA #ChildAdvocacy #FosterCareAwareness #Volunteer

In our final video for this 24 Hours of Gratitude for #GivingTuesday, we want to give a big thank you to our law enforcement partners! At the CAC, we work closely with criminal investigators in each county or city + the GBI and the FBI who specialize in crimes against children, so we get to see the same faces often (they might tell you too often!). Their role in the process can be very intense and sad, but they play a huge part in creating #brighterdaysahead for the children on their cases by keeping them physically safe! Two of the great law enforcement officers we work with often are Investigator Nancy Clark, a criminal investigator with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office- Violent Crimes Unit, and Sergeant William Loomer with the Burke County Sheriff's Office in the Criminal Investigations Division. Learn their favorite parts about working with Child Enrichment in the video! A big thank you to Nancy, Loomer, and all our law enforcement partners! Join Investigator Nancy Clark and Sergeant William Loomer in the fight to protect the children of our community and help them get back to being kids again by donating to our Give Kids Hope: Giving Tuesday 2021 fundraiser at https://www.facebook.com/donate/641191573546234/10219623371150989/.

The next thank you in our 24 Hours of Gratitude for Giving Tuesday is another big one- our Board of Directors, who make the big decisions that keep us running! They are: Kelly McCauley (president), Shelia Stuberfield (president-elect), Lynn Forbes (secretary), Summer Bell (treasurer), Harry Revell (immediate past president), David Bell, Helen Johnson, Becky Shealy, Jonathan Davis, James Heffner, Ramone Lamkin, Ashley Coxwell, Mark Herbert, Nan Easler, J. Malik Lightbourne, Jan Bentley, and April Hartman. Representing the board in our video is Mark Herbert, who shares his favorite things about Child Enrichment, and is encouraging everyone to give to Child Enrichment this GivingTuesday! You can donate to our Give Kids Hope: Giving Tuesday 2021 fundraiser at https://www.facebook.com/donate/641191573546234/10219623371150989/ Thank you to Mark and to all our board members for your consistent commitment to the children we serve. We couldn't do it without you!

For this hour of our 24 Hours of Gratitude for GivingTuesday, we're bringing you not one, but two videos to say a HUGE thank you to our wonderful CASA volunteers! What exactly does a CASA volunteer do? A CASA volunteer protects a child's right to be safe, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to learn and grow in the safe embrace of a loving family. They are community volunteers trained and supported by our CASA staff to advocate for the best interests of local children in foster care. They are appointed by a judge to a child or sibling group's case and will advocate for them both in and out of the courtroom to get them to a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible. A child with a CASA volunteer is more likely to find a safe, permanent home, more likely to succeed in school, and HALF as likely to re-enter the foster care system. CASA is a wise investment too, because one YEAR of CASA advocacy costs less than one MONTH of foster care. The next CASA volunteer we want to introduce you to is Trisha! Trisha is our volunteer of the year, and we know you'll love hearing about her favorite parts of being a CASA! Thank you, Trisha, and all our CASA volunteers for what you do to change children's stories! Every child needs someone to fight for them. Give a voice to children in foster care by donating to our Give Kids Hope: Giving Tuesday 2021 fundraiser at https://www.facebook.com/donate/641191573546234/10219623371150989/

For this hour of our 24 Hours of Gratitude for GivingTuesday, we're bringing you not one, but two videos to say a HUGE thank you to our wonderful CASA volunteers! What exactly does a CASA volunteer do? A CASA volunteer protects a child's right to be safe, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to learn and grow in the safe embrace of a loving family. They are community volunteers trained and supported by our CASA staff to advocate for the best interests of local children in foster care. They are appointed by a judge to a child or sibling group's case and will advocate for them both in and out of the courtroom to get them to a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible. A child with a CASA volunteer is more likely to find a safe, permanent home, more likely to succeed in school, and HALF as likely to re-enter the foster care system. CASA is a wise investment too because one YEAR of CASA advocacy costs less than one MONTH of foster care. The first CASA volunteer we want to introduce you to is Deirdre! Deirdre is an invaluable part of our team across the board, as she's not just an amazing CASA volunteer, but also a Heroes Club volunteer, member of our capital campaign committee, donor, and all-around supporter of Child Enrichment. Thank you, Deirdre, and all our CASA volunteers for what you do to change children's stories! Every child in foster care is more than just a number. Join Deirdre in making sure each one is KNOWN by donating to our Give Kids Hope: Giving Tuesday 2021 fundraiser at https://www.facebook.com/donate/641191573546234/10219623371150989/

At Child Enrichment, we are incredibly fortunate to have the most caring, passionate, determined, optimistic, and highly skilled staff members who have made helping children heal from the effects of abuse, neglect, and sex trafficking their daily mission. The work we do is tough, but their belief that brighter days are indeed ahead for the children we serve makes our offices some of the most positive places to be, around! In fact, our CFO, Executive Director, CASA Director, CAC Director, Forensic Services Director, and Development Director all began their careers at Child Enrichment as either interns or admin assistants, and one of them has worked here for 31 years! As our 24 Hours of Gratitude for Giving Tuesday continues, if you don't know them already, get to know Candyce, our CASA Director, and Caitlyn, our CAC Director, and their favorite things about Child Enrichment! We are so grateful to them and every one of our 24 staff members for their unwavering commitment to the children we serve. Help us help them by donating to our Give Kids Hope: Giving Tuesday 2021 fundraiser at https://www.facebook.com/donate/641191573546234/10219623371150989/

Our 24 Hours of Gratitude for GivingTuesday continues with our admin volunteers! In this video, you'll get to hear from Nan Easler who volunteers at Child Enrichment every week (if you've been to the program building front desk on a Thursday, you've probably met her!), in addition to being a board member and generous donor. Nan is new to Child Enrichment and has won the hearts of everyone here in record time! We are so grateful for everything she and our other admin volunteers do to keep us running and hope you enjoy learning more about what we do and why it's special from her. Thank you, Nan! Join Nan in providing hope and healing to local children by donating to our Give Kids Hope: Giving Tuesday 2021 fundraiser at https://www.facebook.com/donate/641191573546234/10219623371150989/.

Due to the sensitive nature of the work we do with minors, it can be difficult to tell the story of youth and families who benefit from the services provided by Child Enrichment. That's why we continue to be so humbled and grateful to Alyssa, Kayla, and their mom Debbie for choosing to come forward with their story to help other families who may be experiencing abuse or sex trafficking silently. Thank you for your bravery and choice to continue to support Child Enrichment and the children we are serving today! This video introduces you to their incredible story of hope and healing, and we are so honored to be a part of it! Join Alyssa, Kayla, and Debbie in bringing child sexual abuse and trafficking into the light and help families like theirs heal by donating to our Give Kids Hope: Giving Tuesday 2021 fundraiser at https://www.facebook.com/donate/641191573546234/10219623371150989/

Among the most critical roles in a child welfare case is that of the juvenile court judge, the next to be celebrated in our 24 Hours of Gratitude for #GivingTuesday! They are the foundation for public trust and confidence in our juvenile justice system and are responsible for making "the call"- Should a child be removed from their home, knowing that foster care, even in the best of circumstances, can be a traumatic and disorienting experience? Is it safe and appropriate for a child to be returned home? After months or years of the best efforts of DFCS, attorneys, and CASA, is the only way for a child to get to a safe, permanent home for a parent's rights to be terminated? These are the difficult questions facing a juvenile court judge, and Judge Kelly Spencer handles these questions with a calm optimism while shouldering her responsibilities with the utmost seriousness they require. We are so grateful to get to work alongside Judge Spencer and all the other wonderful juvenile judges in our judicial circuits! Thank you for your trust in CASA and for all you do for the children we serve! CASA volunteers advocate for children in the courtroom and in daily life- you can help us get closer to our goal of training a CASA for every child who needs one by donating to our Give Kids Hope: Giving Tuesday 2021 fundraiser at https://www.facebook.com/donate/641191573546234/10219623371150989/

Our 24 Hours of Gratitude for GivingTuesday continues, this time with a video highlighting our Heroes Club Volunteers! Heroes Club is a therapy group for kids who have experienced abuse. One Saturday a month, volunteers are paired with a child to do self-esteem-building exercises, activities, and arts and crafts. See our website if you're interested in being involved! Check out this video to learn more about our Heroes Club and one of our awesome volunteers, ShDonna Drumgoole, who has a long history of involvement with Child Enrichment! A huge thank you to ShDonna and all of Heroes Club Buddies for how you pour into our Heroes Club kids! Join ShDonna in making kids’ faces light up by donating to our Give Kids Hope: Giving Tuesday 2021 fundraiser at https://www.facebook.com/donate/641191573546234/10219623371150989/

Last Thursday, six wonderful new CASA volunteers were sworn into our CASA program to advocate for the best interests of children in foster care! The celebration was a spooky one, thanks to Tammy's creativity, and the new volunteers were even "sorted" into their new "houses" to learn who their coordinators will be. Thank you and congratulations to: Jaiden Pax Kayla Sample Kelley Klein Misty Johnson Sharon Davis Stacy Ostendorff

The Heroes for Hope 5K is 10 days from today! If you haven't signed up for the 5K Run, 5K Walk, or Kids Fun Run, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/GA/Martinez/HeroesforHope5kRunWalk to register today! We can't wait to see you there!

Happy Swearing In to our new CASA Volunteers! Congratulations to Britney Pooser, Carson McCrickard, Christine Scutt, Dorinda Barksdale, Jorge Santiago, and Yolanda Higgins! We are so thankful for you and your willingness to serve the children in foster care in the Augusta, Columbia County, and Toombs Judicial Circuits! We were thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate a champion of Child Enrichment and CASA, Judge Amanda Heath, at her last CASA volunteer swearing in ceremony before she moves on to her position as Superior Court Judge! We are so grateful for her friendship, guidance, service on our board, and advocacy for the children of the Augusta Judicial Circuit. We will miss her but are so proud of and excited for her new adventure!

Want to run our Heroes for Hope 5K but not quite sure where to start with training? Check out this plan you can start this week- https://d368g9lw5ileu7.cloudfront.net/races/race93991-customSectionAttachment61322f2326f8c4.84410907.pdf- and cross the finish line on October 30th like the superhero you are! You can sign up for the 5K https://runsignup.com/Race/GA/Martinez/HeroesforHope5kRunWalk- we can't wait to see you there!

We have the best board members! Two of our board members, David Bell and Summer Bell (no relation), made a friendly competition out of their birthday fundraisers on Facebook. Watch the video to find out who won! Thank you Summer and David, and all our board members, for ALL you do to create Brighter Days Ahead! for the kids in our community!

May is #FosterCareMonth #CASA #ChildAdvocacy

CASA Swearing In Ceremony 3-29-21