SUBMITTED TO CONNECT-BRIDGEPORT

 

Seventh grade students at Bridgeport Middle School participated in a community service project in conjunction with Harrison County CASA and in recognition of April as Child Abuse Awareness Month. 

 

The students placed blue pinwheels outside the school; each pinwheel represents one of the 260 new children that entered the foster care system in Harrison County in 2020.

 

The Harrison County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Program is a volunteer-based, child advocacy organization that recruits, screens, and trains everyday citizens to be appointed by the Circuit Court Judges to children named in child abuse and neglect petitions. CASA is central to fulfilling society’s most fundamental obligation by making sure a qualified, compassionate adult will fight for and protect a child’s right to be safe, to be treated with dignity and respect, and to learn and grow in the security of a safe, loving family. The objective of CASA in assigning a CASA volunteer to a child is to provide a single consistent person who will take the time to mentor, advocate for, and keep the interests and welfare of the child a priority.  Serving as a complement to the deposition of the case, CASA volunteers can provide the companionship and self-esteem enhancing support needed during a time of turbulence and confusion.

 

For more information on CASA, or to get involved, call 304-623-5749.

 

Editor's Note: Photos courtesy of Kim Shahan of Bridgeport Middle School.