Registration is now open for the Clays for Central Georgia CASA tournament. This fundraiser will go to benefit the Central Georgia Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and its mission to recruit and train volunteers to be advocates for children in the foster care system, especially those 12 years and older.
“This is a great opportunity for people to help advocate for the children who need us the most,” says Central Georgia CASA Executive Director Susanna Patterson. “The impact a single volunteer has on a child’s future is huge and joining us for this fundraiser will have a tremendous impact on our entire community.”
The tournament will take place Saturday, February 3, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Meadows Gun Club (1064 Rumble Road, Forsyth, GA). Lunch will be served there in an outdoor pavilion. For questions or additional information, please contact beth.morris@cgcasa.org.
Early registration is available through December 25 and is $125 for individuals and $500 for a team of four. After the 25th, the price increase to $175 per individual or $600 per team of 4. Registration cost includes ammo and lunch. There will be guns and carts available at no additional cost, but CASA would prefer if you were able to bring your own due to a limited number of guns.
About Central Georgia CASA
In June, Central Georgia CASA was one of 31 organizations to receive funds in the second round of Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) grants from Macon-Bibb County and being administered by the Community Foundation of Central Georgia (CFCG). It received $60,000 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.
CASAs are sworn in through the foster care system and meet with their assigned child at least once a month, as well as the child’s doctors, teachers, case workers, foster parents, and often their biological parents to make sure the child’s needs are being met. They also meet with DFCS, the court system, and other agencies to support the child, and prepare written and oral reports to present to the courts. The goal is to make sure that child is receiving the support and care they need. This commitment takes about 10-15 hours per month.
“Our volunteers really get a chance to know these children, providing a real value to our entire system. Our judges love them and the information and perspective they bring,” says Patterson, pointing out they are the advocates for the children in court decisions, bringing information directly to the judges. “We may not be able to individually change the entire world, but by becoming a CASA volunteer, we can change the world for individual children, which makes all the difference.”
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.
“If we’re going to prevent future crime, we need to start earlier and earlier…making sure our children are supported, are loved, and are the center of our worlds,” adds Mayor Miller. “With Central Georgia CASA, we can connect the most loving people in our community with the children who need them the most.”
“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.”
To volunteer, you must be 21 years or older, and be able to pass a background check. The only requirement otherwise is to be compassionate and ready to help. Anyone can be a volunteer, but Patterson says they are looking for people with a heart for children, are not afraid to ask the hard questions, and are ready to advocate for a child’s best interests.
Retired educators and nurses make great volunteers, and they are especially in need of men as volunteers. Of the 50 volunteers currently working with CASA, only 3 are men. The time commitment is 10-15 hours per month, mostly from phone calls and checking on case work. They ask that the volunteer meet with the child or children in person at least once per month.
About the Macon Violence Prevention Program
Macon Violence Prevention is an evidence-based, multifaceted program created to address public safety in Macon-Bibb County. Supported and funded by the consolidated government, MVP is a community-wide effort that brings together elected officials, community leaders and representatives from more than 20 agencies, organizations, and departments.
The MVP program operates under the guidance of the MVP Strategic Plan, which was created in June of 2021 by community stakeholders and violent crime experts. The plan combines data and research with community feedback to identify and implement proven solutions that reduce violent crime and strengthen the community over time.
In its first two years, Macon-Bibb and the Community Foundation of Central Georgia have awarded more than $1.6 million to 56 local nonprofit organizations that have identified proven or innovative solutions to reducing violent crime.
“The solution to violent crime in our community will be found in all of us working together on the same team,” explained Mayor Lester Miller. “The fact that so many people have stepped forward shows that our community is committed to this historic effort. If we continue to work together, we will create a safer, stronger community now and for future generations.”