Open House for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)

ATHENS, Ga., September 25, 2013— On October
7, 10 new volunteer advocates of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program will be sworn in at the Children First Pope
Street Cottage. They will advocate for as many as 20 abused and neglected
children in the Athens-Clarke and Oconee County communities. Athens-Oconee CASA
will hold an Open House at 5:30 pm, inviting the public to learn more about the
program and celebrate the addition of these new CASA child advocates.

These volunteers, sworn in by Clarke
County Juvenile Court Judge Robin Shearer, will gather pertinent information
about the children’s cases, attend all court proceedings and give independent
reports to the judge in the best interest of the children. They will help to
ensure that the children they advocate for will have safe and permanent homes
as quickly as possible.

Friends, family, and the community are
invited to share this special moment together with the volunteers and staff
from Children First, Inc., the umbrella organization under which CASA operates.
This event will serve as an Open House for all community members to come and learn
about the Children First programs, ways to get involved, and becoming a CASA volunteer.

Athens-Oconee CASA now has
approximately 40 volunteers working with over 90 children. It is currently
recruiting new volunteers for its spring training session. Information can be
found on the CASA page of the Children First Website http://www.childrenfirst-inc.org/athens-oconee-casa.html.