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About Us
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Child Advocacy is a non-profit agency with a mission to improve the welfare of children and their families through education, training, and support for the prevention of substance abuse and child abuse and neglect.
Our Staff
Audra Stahl
Executive Director
Pam Mahin
Office Manager
Ty Warczinsky
GCSAC Coordinator
Richelle Davis
Prevention Educator
Heather Gardner
CAC Coordinator
Michelle Zombeck
CASA Coordinator
Brenda Shafley
Event/Volunteer Coordinator
Board of Directors
President
Wes Wickes
Youth for Christ
Vice President Jennifer Leppien CASA Treasurer Carolyn Studley Community Representative
Secretary Kelly Piotrowski Dept. of Human Services
Colleen Davis
Prosecuting Attorney's Office
Rob DuHadway DuHadway Dance Dimensions
Carolyn Hilley
Gratiot Co. Comm. Mental Health
David Justin Alma School Board
Mike Morris
Detective, Gratiot Co. Sheriff's Dept.
Jamie Richardson
Doehring Schultz Insurance Agency
Matt Schooley
City of Alma Transportation
Jennifer Siefker
Jennifer Stambaugh
DeafBlind Central CMU
Andrea Tabor
Mid MI District Health Dept
Joe Yourchock
Community Representative
Kim Vetter
MI State Police
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Car Seat Safety | |
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Did you know that at Child Advocacy we can install and provide a safety inspection for your child safety seat? Child Advocacy has a nationally certified safety seat technician available!
To make an appointment call 989-463-1422 or 800-552-4489 |
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Permanent Prescription Drug Drop Off
Site
Gratiot Co. Sheriff
226 E. Center
Ithaca
open 24 hrs./day
7 days/week
Alma Police Dept.
525 E. Superior St.
Hours
8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Monday - Friday
St. Louis Police Dept.
108 W. Saginaw St.
Hours
Mon. 7 - 3
Tues. - Fri. 8 - 4
The sites accept
prescription pills, liquids, and patches.
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Your Feedback!
Hi Audra,
I am in my new position as a Foster Care Specialist.
I particularly wanted to tell you because there's no way I could have been offered this position if I didn't gain such wonderful experiences with foster families during my internship at Child Advocacy.
So I can't express how thankful I am for the opportunity I had with you and your staff.
From -
CMU Intern
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Greetings!
Luck of the Irish to you!
Spring is right around the corner and it's time to start training for our Superhero 5K event! We offer activities for the entire family - run, walk, or fly through the course!
Help celebrate Parenting Awareness month by attending one of our parenting classes, reading a parenting book, or by evaluating your own parenting style. Parenting is the most important and rewarding "job" you will ever do.
Enjoy,
Child Advocacy Staff
Check out our website www.linkforfamilies.org.
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Upcoming Events
Charity Basketball Game
Alma High School Alumni vs. Ithaca High School Alumni
Friday, April 10 at 7:00 p.m.
Alma High School Gymnasium
Join us for a night of fun! Local celebrity players!
Half-time entertainment! Children's games!
Tickets $5 available at the door
T-shirts $10
Proceeds to benefit Child Abuse and Neglect programs
of Gratiot County.
Child Advocacy Superhero 5K
Run/Walk/Fly
Please mark your calendar for the 8th annual 5K race! Superhero costumes are encouraged but are not required. Saturday, May 9 at 9:00 a.m. Alma Armory, 710 N. State St.
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Princess and Pirates
Party Fundraiser!
By Heather Gardener
CAC Coordinator
Our Princess and Pirates Party Fundraiser was a huge success! We had over 150 princess and pirates and their families come enjoy all the fun. The children enjoyed making crafts, decorating cookies, eating snacks, playing games, walking the plank, getting tattoos, receiving balloon creations from our clown, having royal hair up-do's, meeting their favorite princesses and pirates, and watching dancers from DuHadway Dance Dimensions perform. We also raffled off two power wheel vehicles. Everyone had such a wonderful time and we still hear children talking about it!
Thank you to Seeley Auto for donating the Ford F-150 power wheel truck, and to Jer-Den Plastics for helping to sponsor the event. We would also like to thank the following people for volunteering their time to help make this such a fantastic event; Pat Knapp (Creative Clowning), Kammila Malarney (Purple Pear Salon), Lauran Frost (Colorworks), Sam Allen (Fringe 101), Dan Carley, Honorable Judge Kristin Bakker, and DuHadway Dance Dimensions and their dancers and parents. Thank you to the First Presbyterian Church of Alma for allowing us to host our event in your wonderful Fellowship Hall. Lastly, a big thank you to everyone who came out and supported our fundraiser for the Children's Advocacy Center of Gratiot County. We look forward to seeing you next year!
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Secrets
By Richelle Davis
Prevention Educator
Many children like to share secrets with their friends and siblings. Most of these secrets are funny, silly and harmless. Unfortunately some secrets can hurt people and even be dangerous. It is important for children to know the difference between safe secrets (which are okay to keep) and unsafe secrets (which always need to be told). We can do this by teaching children the difference between safe and unsafe secrets.
Safe secrets are secrets that can make you and someone else very happy. Examples include a surprise party, a secret handshake, a hiding spot during hide and seek, and gifts. Unsafe secrets are things that make you feel unhappy or worried. Examples include being hurt, seeing someone steal or bullied, being touched in a way that makes you feel sad, scared, uncomfortable or yucky.
Sometimes it can be hard for a child to decide whether to tell a secret or to keep it. Teach your child if they are ever unsure, they should always tell. You can help your child by role-playing different scenarios about secrets with them. Tell your child to trust their instincts. If they think something may be wrong or may hurt someone, they need to tell. Let your child know that they can tell you anything and you will listen. Make it clear that you won't blame them and they won't get in trouble for telling you.
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Above the Influence Nights
by Ty Warczinsky
GCSAC Coordinator
The Above the Influence (A.T.I.) students have organized Above the Influence nights at their High School basketball games. St. Louis, Ithaca, Ashley, Fulton, Breckenridge, and Alma all participated in the events.
The A.T.I. students from the varying schools chose their schools' individual themes to be highlighted for the evenings their events, including: "Most Teens Don't" (using statistics about how most teens are not using drugs, alcohol, or tobacco).
Another school's students chose to state pressures and the substances that they and their peers, are likely facing and then combat those options with empowering information to stay above those influences. Finally, one school opted to showcase a night of Hope by drawing people's attention to suicide prevention and offering resources of warning signs, questioning techniques, and help that's available.
All of these students worked hard to make a positive impact on their environments. These nights could not have been accomplished without the efforts and flexibility of school staff and each high school's athletic director. Whether scoreboard reflected it, I count these nights as victories.
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Scheduled Classes
Foster/Adoptive/Relative Care Support Group
Tuesday, March 10
6:00 p.m.
Youth for Christ - Alma
ACT Parenting Class
for parents of Children 0 - 8 years old
Starts Tuesday, April 7 and meets on Tuesday's and Thursday's for three weeks.
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Wilcox Non-Profit Center - Alma
Call Child Advocacy to register.
Nurturing Parenting Program
for parents and their school-age children (5 to 11 years)
Starts Thursday, April 16 and meets on Thursday's for 10 weeks
5:00 p.m. - Light meal served
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Class
United Methodist Church - St. Louis
Call Child Advocacy to register.
Please call our office with questions about any of the above classes/workshops at (989) 463-1422.
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Happy Spring (almost),
Thank you for taking a few minutes to read our March issue. We are excited to announce that Child Advocacy's Annual Banquet will be held on Thursday, May 14th this year. We hope you will join us as we celebrate the Child Advocate of the Year and Child Advocate Organization of the year. Tickets for the luncheon are $12 and can be purchased at our office.
We hope to see you this Spring at one of our events. We have many great fundraisers coming up to help support our efforts to reduce child abuse and neglect in Gratiot County.
If you are interested in playing in our Alumni Basketball game please contact us ASAP.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Audra Stahl
Executive Director
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