At Georgia Court Appointed Special Advocates’ (CASA) annual conference on August 24, the Central Georgia CASA received the Innovative Program Award of Excellence, the first time it’s received a statewide award.

“This award is huge for us. It’s a recognition of our team’s years of hard work and dedication to serve more and more children experiencing foster care in our community,” says Susanna Patterson, Executive Director of Central Georgia CASA.  “With more volunteers, more children and families can receive individual attention and advocacy, and that means they receive more services, perform better in school, and are more likely to achieve lasting permanency.”

“We’re so proud of the work Central Georgia CASA is doing to make sure the children who need us the most have someone looking out for their best interests, someone who can take up their cause and be their champion,” says Mayor Lester Miller. ““It’s because so many people and organizations have gotten involved in Macon Violence Prevention – including CASA – that we had a 43% drop in the overall homicide rate and 67% among teenagers in one year.”

According to Georgia CASA, the award was given because of the strategies Central Georgia CASA used to increase the number of children service from fewer than 10 in 2013 to 150 by early 2024. That number has now increased to nearly 200 children. During that time, Central Georgia CASA used social media campaigns, community outreach, and partnerships to not only attract new volunteers, but retain them over time.

In July, Central Georgia CASA was one of 25 organizations to receive funds in the third round of Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) grants from Macon-Bibb County and being administered by the Community Foundation of Central Georgia (CFCG). It received $50,000 to recruit and train volunteers to serve a greater number of youth aged 12+ and fund staff to provide supervision and support to these volunteers. It also received $25,000 from the first round of MVP grants and $60,000 from the third round.

“Ultimately, this is about giving more children a brighter future, and with the support of Mayor Miller, the Community Foundation, and Macon Violence Prevention program, we are able to do just that,” says Patterson. “Children paired with an advocate that cares for them do better in school, have better home stability, and are better behaved in and out of school.”

“It’s the love of this community…the love of families…and the love of seeing children succeed now and in the future that is making the difference in our neighborhoods,” adds Mayor Miller.

There is a new group of volunteers participating in the required training that has just started, and there is still time to sign up to become one. To sign up to be a volunteer, contact Beth Morris at beth.morris@cgcasa.org. You can also visit https://www.cgcasa.org/volunteer/apply-now/ to apply.