Clinton Township Newsletter

CASA SH a W S eeking C rew M embers Imagine you are a child at home watching TV, and a stranger comes to the door with a police officer. They talk to your family, put your belongings in a garbage bag, take you with them and leave you at a stranger's home. Your "new" family has different rules, different food, different smells and different expectations of you, and yet you are expected to fit in without complaint while you wait for your biological family to comply with a court's orders in order to reclaim you. It will likely be months, even years, before this happens, if it happens at all. This is the life of a child in the foster care system in New Jersey. One local non-profit, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties (CASA SHaW) helps support the needs of these children for the duration of their time in the child welfare system. Community volunteers work to ensure that these children's needs are identified and met while in foster care, that court orders are monitored for compliance, and that the children are as stable as possible during a very difficult time in their young lives. Because of federal funding cuts, CASA SHaW is not currently able to train or take on new advocates. However, they are looking for "CASA Crew" members to support the work they do. Extra assistance will be needed for fundraising events, community outreach to share CASA's mission and child abuse prevention education. Help stuff envelopes, sell raffle tickets or make gift baskets for raffle prizes. Help at just one event or all the CASA events. Being a Crew member offers flexibility to volunteers who want to help and brings many hands together in support of CASA's child advocacy mission. CASA SHaW is part of a Statewide network of community-based, non-profit programs that recruit, screen, train and supervise volunteers to "Speak Up for a Child" removed from home due to abuse or neglect. CASA is the only program in New Jersey that uses trained volunteers to work one-on-one with children, ensuring that each one gets the services needed and achieves permanency in a safe, nurturing home. Interested in supporting the work that CASA does by becoming a Crew Member? Please contact CASA SHaW 908.689.5515 or by emailing: info@casashaw.org. For more information, please visit us online: www.casashaw.org. Thank you! HC F a m i ly S u c c e s s C e n t e r J u ly meetings 3 East Main St., Flemington, NJ 08822 • 908.237.0465 • www.hcfsc.com •Walking Groups • Budgeting Workshops •Art Classes •Foster and Adoptive Family Services/Health Advocacy Workshop •Remember When: Share stories of yesteryear over refreshments. Talk about music, recipes, life experiences, schooling, daily activities. •Homework Club and Homework Helpers Programs •Girls Nite In is an empowerment group for girls 12 and older. •Middle Earth VISIONS Program is a job readiness program for at-risk youth. For more info., contact Michelle Mazzagatti at 908-722-9908 x10. •NAMI Bilingual Parent Support Group: Support group for parents of children living with mental health challenges. Sponsored by NAMI. •CJFHC: The Central Jersey Family Health Consortium presents one-hour workshops on healthy/unhealthy families and domestic violence. •Infant Massage: Soothe your baby through nurturing touch. •Family Support Organization (FSO) Parents Support Group: Support group for parents of children living with mental health challenges. •Sibling Group: A support group for kids who have a sibling who struggles with a mental disorder. This one-hour session is facilitated by Jeff Hunt, LCADC, LPC, and Sue Boer, LPC, of B & H Counseling. •LEGO Hour: Boys and girls ages 7—12: bring your LEGOs for an hour of creativity and socializing! Snack provided. •Youth Coalition: High school teens meet on a monthly basis, focusing on underage drinking and substance abuse among youth. •Unifying Families/The Choking Game: The Choking Game is a dangerous game that teens play. A law enforcement officer will be on hand to discuss this trend with both parents and youth. •Pro Bono Legal Advice. Local attorneys offer an average of 15 minute pro bono legal advice per attendee. J u l y Lic # 01587A 1262 Rt. 22 W Lebanon, NJ 08833 2 0 1 3 Phone (908) 236-6878 Fax (908) 236-7125 After Hrs. (908) 797-5091 www.clinton-autobody.com 3

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