Feature
March
18
C.A.S.A. Spring Fest
Compiled by Mary Downer
“To give a child a C.A.S.A. is to give them a voice. To give them a voice is to give them hope, and to give them hope is to give them the world. I believe that with all my heart.” —Pamela Butler, a former foster child helped by a Court Appointed Special Advocates.
Each year, approximately 780,000 children in the U.S. are caught up in the court and child welfare maze because they are unable to live safely at home. Imagine what it would be like to lose your parents, not because of something you did, but because they can’t-or won’t-take care of you. Now, into these children’s lives come dozens of strangers: police, foster parents, therapists, social workers, judges, lawyers and more. Hopefully, one of these strangers is a C.A.S.A. volunteer.
C.A.S.A. volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children making sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or suffer in an inappropriate group or foster home. They stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. For many abused children their C.A.S.A. volunteer will be the one constant adult presence—the one adult who cares only for them.
C.A.S.A. Spring Fest
A World of Fun
March 20
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Downtown Houma
Courthouse Square
Last year, more than 68,000 C.A.S.A. volunteers served more than 240,000 abused and neglected children through 1,018 program offices. C.A.S.A. volunteers have helped more than 2 million abused children since the first program was established in 1977.
C.A.S.A. of Terrebonne has two major fundraisers each year; one of the fundraisers is called Spring Fest. Every spring Houma’s Courthouse Square is transformed into a United Nations on the bayou for a day of learning and fun! A World of Fun teaches children about different countries around the world. This premier family event highlights the art, music and food of many different cultures. Children can enjoy interactive, educational booths featuring countries such as Italy, Russia, England, Mexico and a multitude of others. There will be live performances by Papillion, Javier Juarez, Calliope Puppets and the Komenka dancers.
All of the revenues generated by Spring Fest are guaranteed to go directly to C.A.S.A. of Terrebonne. The proceeds will ensure that C.A.S.A. can continue speaking in the best interests of abused and neglected children who are involved in the local court system.
