Martinsburg, W.Va. – Court Appointed Special Advocates of the Eastern Panhandle (CASA-EP) held its 20th Anniversary Celebration on July 29th raising $100,000 to expand its programs and build a new scholarship fund for youth who have experienced foster care.
Since April 2003, CASA-EP has been changing the trajectory of children’s lives, reuniting families, and helping youth build resilience in young adulthood. Led by the vision of co-founders Val Smith and Joan Piemme Ergin, CASA-EP volunteers provide a voice for children who have experienced abuse or neglect and are involved in dependency court proceedings. Since its inception, roughly 800 court-appointed volunteers have been a voice for the best interests of over 5,000 children in out-of-home care in West Virginia’s EasternPanhandle.
More than 200 attendees celebrated this work at a Garden Gala, who had the pleasure of hearing moving testimonials from two CASA-served youth and comments about the state of the child welfare system from Judge Debra McLaughlin and Judge Bridget Cohee from West Virginia’s 23rd Judicial Circuit.
“We are a powerful, dedicated group of volunteers and professionals working collaboratively in a very complex system, and we make a real difference in young people’s lives,”said CASA-EP’s Executive Director Michelle Sudduth. “We were thrilled to be able to share these important stories with our supporters, and I am still in shock by the outpouring of generosity and support from our community.”
The event was held at the beautiful McMurran Farm in Shepherdstown, WV, and hosted by Joy Lewis, the chairperson of the 20th Anniversary Gala committee. Early-evening entertainment was provided by the Young Yukes and BlackCat School of Rock Jr. from Berkeley Springs, WV. An auction of “experiences” was held that raised over $22,000 and through an every-bid-counts moment. CASA raised its first $15,000 to seed a scholarship fund for youth who have participated in the organization’s Fostering Futures program.
“I was so proud to hear of these two children going off to college. It is an amazing feat to overcome the tremendous adversity in their life,” said CASA-EP co-founder Valerie Smith. They studied hard and focused on their future, despite all hardships they faced during childhood. “I am thrilled CASA-EP is building a scholarship fund so we can help youth with their educational expenses and support their aspirations,” said Smith. “We are helping a child who is to live a much better life than they would have had they not had a CASA volunteer and this organization behind them.”
To find more information about volunteering or becoming a CASA or to make a gift in honor of CASA-EP’s 20th anniversary, including its scholarship fund, please visit www.www.mycasaep.org.
CASA-EP believes that every child who’s been abused or neglected deserves to have a dedicated advocate speaking up for their best interest in court, at school, and in our community. To accomplish this, CASA-EP educates and empowers diverse community volunteers who ensure that each child’s needs remain a priority in an overburdened child welfare system. Apply, donate, or learn more at www.www.mycasaep.org, call 304-263-5100, or find CASA of the Eastern Panhandle on Facebook.
Check out the Garden Gala photo booth. Special thank to The Laughing Hat Photo Booth Co. for making this possible!
