Plains residents enjoy chili and pies to help children
<p><strong>CASA volunteer advocates and board members join Judge Manley as they are recognized for their work during the group’s chili feed.</strong></p>
PLAINS – Residents were able to enjoy a chili lunch while benefitting children and teens during the Court Appointed Special Advocate chili feed fundraiser, Saturday afternoon.
The meeting room of the Plains Grange was turned into a dining room for the event with tables set up in rows and a few around the perimeter for the food.
The people in attendance got to enjoy homemade chili and a variety of pies ranging from fruit to chocolate cream. Throughout the event, a video of testimonials and information about the CASA program was being projected on the wall. Informational pamphlets were also available on all the tables and at the entrance.
As the event progressed, the CASA board had a special presentation where they recognized their advocates by giving them certificates of appreciation as well as a gift packet of supplies needed for the job.
District Court Judge James Manley was also called on to say a few words about the event and what the group does for the community. He said it was a great cause and the volunteers, courts, juvenile probation officers and other officials had a hard time dealing with everything without the aid of CASA volunteers.
“The problems out there probably exceed anything that you can imagine for kids in these communities,” Manley said. “So CASA volunteers, without any payment … they agree to help the system by investigating and recommending to the courts … what to do and they have become an enormous help to the system.”
He said they gave enormously of their hearts and time; that, while many times they fail to help, the knowledge that they make a difference in some lives keeps them going in trying to save kids from a disastrous life.
Advocates are assigned cases where children are the victims of neglect or abuse. They help the children through the various processes of the courts and legal systems as well as filling out forms for getting the help they need. According to the advocates job description, they act as independent investigators and work through case reviews and reports to the court as they work for the child’s best interests.