The Pierce County Juvenile Court CASA/GAL (Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad litem) Program has been awarded a $7,000 grant from Jewelers for Children, the leading charity of the U.S. jewelry industry.
The grant will be used to expand advocacy for abused and neglected children in Pierce County.
“We faced the difficult task of choosing, among many highly qualified candidates, the relatively few programs that we can recognize with a grant,” said David Rocha, executive director of Jewelers for Children. “We are especially proud of the Pierce County Juvenile Court CASA/GAL Program for its outstanding dedication to helping abused and neglected children within its community.”
More than 100 CASA and GAL programs received funds this year from a $900,000 national grant administered by the National CASA Association.
“As a result of these grants, more than 850 abused and neglected children across the country will receive critical advocacy services,” said Michael Piraino, National CASA Association CEO. “We are grateful to Jewelers for Children for its deep commitment to helping change the lives of these vulnerable children.”
Local Jewelers for Children member businesses include Ben Bridge Jeweler, LeRoy Jewelers, Weisfield Jewelers, and Carlson Brothers. “We appreciate the commitment of these local businesses for the children served by the court,” said Superior Court Judge Frank Cuthbertson, who is currently hearing Pierce County Juvenile Court dependency cases.
The Pierce County Juvenile Court CASA/GAL Program began training community volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in 1983. Currently there are 224 CASAs advocating for more than 500 children. Another 500 children need CASA advocacy. One of the program’s goals is to continue expanding the number of volunteers involved so that each child is represented. Information about becoming a volunteer can be obtained by calling 253-798-7948.
Jewelers for Children has donated nearly $15 million to programs benefiting children whose lives have been devastated either by catastrophic illness or abuse and neglect. More information on JFC is available at http://www.jewelersforchildren.org.
