Summer 2017
Advo-Chat
In this issue:
Independent Living Coach
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CAC Accreditation
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Photo by Chase Andrews, Partner/General Manager, Terminus Wake Park
Spring Brings Showers, Flowers, Ducks, and Support
A series of events in the spring raised more than $200,000 for Advocates for Children, kicking off a fantastic start to the year. From the live and silent auctions of Spring Benefit to the return of Duck Derby, Advocates for Children saw new and familiar faces show their support for the organization. Spring Benefit was held March 25 at the Cartersville Country Club. The event co-chairs Regina Shaw and Barbara Terry, along with their steering committee of Kim Bowen, Tamara Brock, Abbey Culverhouse, Hannah Hart, Amy Morgan, Charissa Pritchett, Deena Stewart and Justine Tidwell organized the event from logistics and décor to sponsorships and auction items. This year’s event raised approximately $121,000 from ticket sales, sponsorships and the live and silent auctions of more than 200 items. With sponsorship from Publix Super Markets Charities, Dynaflux, Inc., Georgia Southern Transportation, Georgia Bone & Joint Surgeons, P.C., Jennifer and Glen Merritt/North Highland Worldwide Consulting, Shaw Industries Group, Target, and Bruce Thompson Enterprises, this year’s benefit drew in a large crowd of local business and community leaders.
Child Abuse Prevention Month 4
Safe Place Coloring Contest
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Education Advocates
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A little over a month later the water at Terminus Wake Park in Emerson turned yellow with thousands of ducks Saturday, May 6, as Duck Derby came to its exciting conclusion. Combined with the 13th Annual Duck Dash 5K and Fun Run on May 5, the two events brought in more than $100,000 for Advocates for Children through duck adoptions, sponsorships, race registrations, and merchandise sales. About 50 runners braved the chilly and damp weather to run in the Cinco de Mayo evening 5K, as well as more than a dozen children in the Fun Run. Along with presenting sponsor NorthSide Bank, event sponsors Gary Fox, CPA and Mockingbird Dental, and 18 T-shirt sponsors, Duck Dash raised $11,115. Chaired by Nicole Hughes, this year’s Duck Derby committee included Josh Brock, Danielle Graham, Abby Hooper, Tina Hudson, Lara Jeanneret, Jud McGiveran, Maurni Moss and Howard Sthay. There was plenty for the crowd to experience, including food trucks, bounce houses, games, wakeboarding demonstrations and the opening of Terminus Wake Park’s new Aqua Park attraction. Ducks, which were sold by local business and community teams, including seven local high school seniors competing for $5,000 sponsored by Georgia Bank & Trust-Synovous. The Quacky Cash Prize went to Woodland High School senior Leah Hill, who sold more than 2,000 ducks. Ducks offered each person a chance to win the $10,000 grand prize, sponsored by Kennesaw Transportation, or numerous other prizes. The winner of the $10,000 grand prize was Lloyd Burke. Preceding the big event was a Very Important Duck Race with 106 entries. That package sold for $250 and offered great odds for winning a $1,000 prize. First prize of $1,000 of went to Jannette Millwood, second prize of $500 went to TI Automotive, and third prize of $250 went to Jackie Best. TI Automotive and Best both donated their winnings back to Advocates for Children. June 2017- Advo-Chat
Summer Reading
Iron Order Ride for Kids
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A Note From Karen The end of the school year always brings challenges with schedules and planning for next half of the year at Advocates for Children. But it also brings with it plenty of hope. At Advocates for Children we are working together in a network for better childhoods for our youngest generation. We always welcome you to join us as part of that journey as a donor, a volunteer or supporter of all that we do. Our programs are a lifeline to children and families, providing shelter, education, and advocacy throughout this community. This first half of 2017 has shown the importance of our prevention and intervention efforts. We’ve seen our Children’s Advocacy Center join the ranks of the best such outlets nationally with accreditation, the continued expansion of our Court Appointed Special Advocates program in piloting a new initiative and training new volunteers, as well as sustained growth in our home-based services to increase access to all families who need encouragement, education, and support. We are also taking a closer look at the needs of children within our care beyond their childhood years to ensure they have happy and thriving adulthoods. I want to thank everyone associated with our daily work. From our board members, staff, volunteers, corporate and community partners, financial and in-kind donors and of course, those we serve. What hard work we do here! Each of you, in your own way does something each day to further our goals to preventing and treating child abuse for the children and families in this community. I value all of you.
Board of Trustees Josh Brock Peachtree Planning Corporation Tamara Brock The City of Cartersville Todd Browning State Farm Insurance Tim Chason The Chason Group, Inc. Dr. Tinsley Cline Choate Dental Associates Vicky Newman Durham Cartersville City Schools Mike Elder A New Dimension Graphic Design and Printing Candler Ginn Georgia Power Company Rob Hankinson Heatco, Inc. Tina Hudson, (Board Chair) NorthSide Bank Nicole Hughes C & C Gutters
Yours, Karen White President & CEO Advocates for Children
Glenn Jordan Chick-fil-A Reverend Kevin Lobello Sam Jones United Methodist Church
Support Advocates Year-Round with Monthly Giving Options Show your support for Advocates for Children year-round with a monthly recurring donation. Recurring gifts provide steady, reliable funding for Advocates and are an easy way for you to make a BIG impact. Visit advochild.org/monthly to set up your donation. Just determine your donation amount, enter your payment information, and your gift can be automatic! If you need assistance, contact Amy Davis, Director of Development, at 770-387-1143. Turning your $10 gift into a monthly recurring donation will add up to $120 over the course of a year. That’s enough to cover the cost of an AP exam registration for one of our shelter residents or new bedding for two children in our Hope in Your Home program.
Jud McGiveran RenovationX Nancy Newman (Emeritus) Community Volunteer David Ramey (Treasurer) Wells Fargo Advisors Regina Shaw (Secretary) Spring Benefit Co-Chair Deena Stewart Community Volunteer Matt Terry SAP America Karen White President & CEO
A monthly recurring donation of $25 will total $300 annually – enough to provide a band or orchestra instrument for a shelter resident! Recurring donations are vital to keeping Advocates for Children financially strong throughout the year. With your support, we can remain focused on our mission – to strengthen our community of families by offering safety, comfort and hope to children and preventing child abuse in all its forms. Make your donation today!
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June 2017- Advo-Chat
Advocates for Children Places Focus of New Role on the Future of Shelter Residents Transitioning from childhood and the teenage years into adulthood is a hard task for anyone. This is especially true for residents of Advocates for Children’s Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter, a residential facility for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Recognizing this tough transition, the shelter has added a position dedicated to making sure residents learn all they need to know to be productive and happy adults. The position is funded largely through a Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant administered by Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.
Independent Living Coach Jacqueline Knight sets up a “store” for Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter Residents to spend funds they have earned during lessons on budgeting and money management.
Jacqueline Knight, who resides in Rome with her husband and children, stepped into the role of Independent Living Coach at the shelter. Having served as a member of the direct care staff at the shelter previously, she is a known face to the children who call the shelter home. In her new role, Knight assists residents age 14 and up in successfully transitioning to young adulthood by teaching them the necessary skills for long term independence. These basic life skills include such topics as personal hygiene, social skills, organization, money management, time management, sex education, nutrition, fitness and professional development.
“I saw the need to really prepare our youth for real-life experiences,” said Knight, who graduated from Coosa Valley Technical College in 2007. “I truly believe that our children are our future, and that they will look out for this world. Some of our youth will not have the opportunity to return to their family and may leave here and go straight into the real world. So, I wanted to make sure that they know how to pay bills and where to do so. I want them to be able to cook for themselves and know how to shop within a budget. I want them to know how to apply for college and know where to get help if they need it.”
Children’s Advocacy Center Earns National Accreditation Advocates for Children and its Children’s Advocacy Center has been awarded accreditation by National Children’s Alliance following an extensive application and site review process.
medical evaluation, therapeutic intervention and child focused setting. “This accreditation not only validates our organization’s proven effective approach to responding to allegations of child abuse, but also provides consistency across the child advocacy center movement as a whole,” said Advocates’ CAC Program Director Amanda Tant. “With the coordination of our Multidisciplinary Team, we are the front-line responders in this community to reports of child sexual abuse and severe physical abuse. That allows us to focus our efforts at the CAC on reducing trauma so that children and families may begin the healing process.”
As the accrediting agency for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC) across the country, National Children’s Alliance awards accreditation to centers responding to allegations of child abuse in ways that are effective and efficient, and put the needs of child victims of abuse first. Accreditation is the highest level of membership with National Children’s Alliance and denotes excellence in service provision. The local CAC provides a safe, neutral place for children and teens to discuss their abuse with a forensic interviewer. Instead of going to the sheriff’s office or the Division of Family and Children’s Services, children come to the CAC where their interview is recorded, in hopes that the child will not have to repeat it over and over again. Interviews are observed by a Multidisciplinary Team made up of professionals, including law enforcement, medical, and child protective services. Additionally, family advocates provide ongoing support for the entire family. Since opening in 2008, Advocates for Children’s CAC has provided direct services to more than 1,100 children. June 2017- Advo-Chat
National Children’s Alliance awards Accredited Membership based on a CAC’s compliance with 10 national standards of accreditation to ensure effective, efficient and consistent delivery of services to child abuse victims. National Children’s Alliance updated these standards in 2010 to reflect the most recent evidence-based practices in the field of child abuse intervention and prevention. According to these standards, Accredited Members must utilize a functioning and effective Multidisciplinary Team approach to work collaboratively in child abuse investigation, prosecution, and treatment. National Children’s Alliance also considers standards regarding a center’s cultural competency and diversity, forensic interviews, victim support and advocacy,
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1,678 Pinwheels Mark Child Abuse Prevention Month During the month of April pinwheels decorated the corner of Erwin and Cherokee in downtown Cartersville. The powerful display was designed to recognize National Child Abuse Prevention month. A local Prevent Child Abuse Georgia Council first used pinwheels as part of its grassroots awareness campaign and the tradition was quickly embraced around the state. Not long after, PCA America incorporated the pinwheel in national campaigns. The Pinwheels for Prevention campaign has seen more than 3 million pinwheels distributed nationwide since April 2008. Pinwheel gardens are planted in communities across the nation as visual reminders that we all play a role in ensuring happy and healthy childhoods for all children everywhere. Advocates for Children placed 1,678 of these pinwheels locally to increase awareness, as well as expand dialogue and community engagement around the healthy development of all children and the prevention of child abuse before it occurs. In addition to the display near the Gold Dome Courthouse, Advocates spent some time with families and supporters in Friendship Plaza, organized Blue Days at local schools, and offered a free Darkness to Light - Stewards of Children class to the community.
Adairsville Students Get Creative for Safe Place Students at Adairsville Elementary School are now familar with Safe Place and the function it provides to young people in crisis. In addition to the fourth and fifth graders learning about the yellow and black signs that mean a location will help them in times of trouble, students in all grade levels participated in a coloring contest. At stake were tokens for icy treats from Kona Ice, which provided the awards and serves as a Safe Place location in Bartow County. Each grade level had its own winner just in time for Field Day at the school. Judges included, pictured from left to right, Advocates Business Manager Deborah Parmenter, Juvenile Court Program Director Carolyn Johnson, and Bartow County Magistrate Court Judge Brandon Bryson. As one of five Safe Place affiliated organizations in Georgia, Advocates for Children oversees the efforts more than 90 Safe Place locations in Northwest Georgia.
Contact Us Administrative Offices - 770.387.1143 Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) - 678.605.9023 Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) - 770.386.1060 Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter - 770.382.6180 Parents as Teachers (PAT) and First Steps - 770.606.8578 Positive Parenting Program - 678.605.9023 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 446, Cartersville, GA 30120 Follow us at:
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June 2017- Advo-Chat
Advocates for Children Begins to Offer Training for CASA Education Advocates In its efforts to prevent and treat child abuse in all its forms, Advocates for Children provides community services for children, including those currently in the foster care system. One such program under the umbrella of Advocates for Children offers children who are abused or neglected a voice in the court system. The Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer assesses the child’s situation and reports to the judge what is in the best interest of the child with a goal of a safe, permanent home for each child. It is estimated that the average child in foster care is likely to change placements two to three times a year, according to officials with the National Court Appointed Special Advocate Association. With those moves come burdens on the child to adjust to new surroundings, people, and sometimes multiple schools. CASA volunteers are often the only constant adult presence in the child’s life. “Some of the things we see when assessing the child’s situation are incomplete education records; lack of proper assessment of a child’s educational needs and resources; overlooked absenteeism, tardiness and truancy,” explained Advocates for Children CASA Director Ava Lipscomb. “Each time there is a move from home to home children can lose months of educational progress.” Working with Georgia CASA, Advocates for Children is piloting a program in Bartow County to offer additional training to a few of their current CASA volunteers to become Education Advocates. To become an Education Advocate, a CASA must undergo additional training and accept additional responsibilities for the child to whom they are appointed regarding the child’s educational needs. Education Advocate training will continue to be offered every few months. “In addition to children having another supportive adult in their lives who is focused on their education, this type of advocacy helps the professionals involved in the case,” said Lipscomb. “An important key to a better life is education. Through focused efforts and community collaborations, we can make great strides toward giving abused and neglected children more opportunities and a great foundation for the future.”
June 2017- Advo-Chat
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Advocates for Children Scrapbook
Advocates for Children recently received $5,000 from the Grainger Foundation through Gerdau’s recommendation. The money was used to purchase a new a new commercial-grade upright storage freezer for the kitchen at Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter.
Cartersville Police Officer Josh Cole stopped by to visit with Quacky at Friendship Plaza during Child Abuse Prevention Month. Quacky always draws attention!
Local Publix associates spent a spring day planting, landscaping, painting, and completing other tasks as part of their national day of service!
Gerdau raised more than $14,000 for Advocates for Children with its annual Charity Sporting Clays Tournament, held Friday, May 12, at Floyd County Wildlife Club. Sponsors and participants from Grainger, C&C Electrical Supply, Industrial Construction Services, A&D Contracting and Machine Shop, P&W Quality Machine of Georgia, James Carr Sandblasting and Painting, All Star Roll-Off, and other area companies came together to support the event.
Celebrating the successes of the residents of Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter and the staff and volunteers who help them achieve, Awards Night was an Out of this World experience featuring the kids who have worked hard in school and out this academic year!
In April Marc Kinney with Kona Ice stopped by to donate tokens for the Safe Place coloring contest prizes, making the reward for learning about the program extra sweet! The Kona Ice trucks are among the more than 90 Safe Place sites in Northwest Georgia.
Moses Odinukaeze of Roswell stopped by the shelterin March with a big donation of food for the kids. Why? He wanted to celebrate his birthday with an act of kindness! If you would like to “give your birthday” to Advocates, visit our wish list at advochild.org/how-to-give/wish-list/, or make a financial contribution at http://advochild.org/donate/.
Volunteers from Shaw Plants 12 and 15 completed quite a few projects at Advocates for Children as part of the company’s Spring into Service Campaign with United Way. A group from Plant 15 is pictured above after painting several offices at the Children’s Advocacy Center in May
CASA volunteers meet monthly to learn more about ways to advocate for children in the foster care system. One recent meeting included staff from Highland Rivers talking about processes in the court system.
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June 2017- Advo-Chat
Summer Reading Builds Better Students and Opportunity The lazy days of summer have arrived and children are poised for fun and adventure. Summer is an important time for students to keep reading and improve their language skills, according to the US Department of Education. Research shows the critical importance that the early development of summer reading habits can play in providing the foundation for later success. Children who don’t read over the summer tend to lose literacy skills, while children who do read during the summer actually improve their reading ability. Summer learning losses accumulate over several years and are an important contributor to the achievement gap. This is even true of children who aren’t in school yet or might be starting soon, according to Advocates for Children Parents as Teachers Director Liz Fox. “Reading is very important for young children,” she explained. “It introduces new vocabulary and ideas that are not part of the every-day speech. Also, talking to your child about things in their world, engaging them in activities that allow them to be around other children and just helping children get along with others is very important.” The addition of reading to the summer schedule doesn’t have to mean setting aside huge portions of time for younger children or taking away from other activities, according to Fox. “Reading 15 minutes a day is a good measure of success,” Fox said. “That means caregivers reading to children, especially young children. Young children like lots of different books with silly stories and great illustrations. Try to let the child help pick out books. A trip to the library is a good, inexpensive way to interact and learn.”
10th Annual Iron Order Ride Has Big Turn Out Now in its 10th year, the Iron Order Motorcycle Club Ride for the Kids was held Saturday, June 3. The ride benefited Advocates’ Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter. The event, which took about 150 riders through scenic Northwest Georgia, has previously raised more than $50,000 over the past nine years. Starting at the Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter with a breakfast and send-off, the 2-hour ride took riders through much of Bartow County and ended at Friendship Plaza in downtown Cartersville. The after party included raffles, live and silent auctions, music, and food. Funds raised from the event are dedicated to providing summer activities for the Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter residents, including a long weekend trip to the beach.
Champion: A New Dimension Printing • Anheuser-Busch • Bruce Thompson Enterprises • Cartersville Bartow CVB • Dynaflux • Georgia Bone & Joint Surgeons, P.C. • Georgia United Credit Union • Georgia Southern Transportation • Management Recruiters of Cartersville • Jennifer & Glen Merritt • NorthSide Bank • NorthStar Chemicals • Shaw • Styles Auto Care • Target Advocate: Allatoona Yacht Club • All Star Roll-Off • Ampacet • Cartersville Medical Center • Gary Fox CPA • Georgia Power Plant Bowen • Hamilton State Bank • Lara J Designs • Mockingbird Dental • Ramey Wealth Management • Renasant Bank • Steel Materials Inc. • West End Commons
Learn more about being a Corporate Partner at AdvoChild.org/CP.
June 2017- Advo-Chat
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Advo-Chat
Advocates for Children P.O. Box 446 | Cartersville, GA 30120
Upcoming Events and Opportunities October 5, 2017 This year’s AT&T Corporate Real Estate Property Management Charity Golf Classic will be held Oct. 5, 2017 at Echelon Golf Club in Alpharetta. Echelon is a broad-shouldered, beautiful and formidable test designed by famed golf course architect Rees Jones. The course wanders over 600-acres of rolling hills, providing striking elevation changes and panoramic views, most notably on the back nine. The semi-private course also features a 32-acre practice and training facility that is also one of the finest in the state. In addition to a beautiful course, this year’s event features several special prizes and opportunities, including holein-one prizes, longest drive competition, putting contest, a golf ball launcher, 50/50 golf ball drop raffle, and more. Visit advochild.org/attgolf for more information or to register.
November 28, 2017 We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, November 28, 2017, donors and charities around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. In the spirit of the season, Advocates for Children will once again join the #GivingTuesday celebration on November 28, inspiring meaningful giving to advance its mission of the prevention and treatment of child abuse in all its forms. Coinciding with Thanksgiving and the kickoff of the holiday shopping season, #GivingTuesday was designed to inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the nonprofits and causes they support, and help create a better world.
Coming Soon This summer we will be launching a new campaign to collect gift cards that will enable the residents of the Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter to shop for new back to school clothing. Stay tuned for details! If you are looking for ways to make donations to the shelter, be sure to visit our wish list page to see the needs of our residents and staff at advochild.org/how-to-give/wish-list/.
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June 2017- Advo-Chat