Category: Community

How are children faring in Oregon?
By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

Today I am sitting in my office listening to the rain and feeling a little sad and a lot overwhelmed. It’s Sunday and the office is very quiet except for the rain trickling through the rain gutters and the tap of my fingers on the keyboard.

No, I am not sad because I am working on the weekend or because it is raining.

I am sad because I just read the 2015 Child Welfare Data Book.

There is much controversy across the country because there are statistics that have been released in recent years that indicate child abuse is on the decrease. I have watched this discussion and sometimes participated in this discussion over the last few years and I just don’t see this to be true in my every day practice.

According to the 2015 Child Welfare Data Book, 27 children in Oregon died as a result of child abuse and neglect.

In 2014 that number was 13. In 2013 that number was 10. 27 is a number that describes an amount but does not tell the story. Behind that 27 are children that died at the hands of another. 21 of those deaths were caused by one or both parents. 20 of those children were under the age of 5.

I do not know all their stories. I do not know the heinous circumstance in which they died. I would not recognize them in a picture if you showed it to me. But my heart weeps just the same. Each of those children carried with them potential that was never realized. Each of those children had dreams that were never dreamt.

Our community will never be what it could have been if those 27 children lived.

But, unfortunately, that is not all of the story. As I read further, I learned that

41.5% of the time for the abused and neglected children in Oregon, the perpetrator is their mom. 37% of the time it is their father. A relative, a live in companion, foster parent, or guardian are the perpetrator 15.5% of the time.

94% of the time the perpetrator was someone who, by their very role in the child’s life, is supposed to be a protector not an abuser.

I read further. In Jackson County our numbers increased as well. In 2013, there were 707 victims of child abuse in our county. In 2014 that rose to 801 and in 2015 rose again to 954.

These are more than numbers. There were 954 children in our community that were harmed in some way. Chances are you know one of these 954. Chances are they go to school with your child or grandchild. Chances are that your paths crossed with one of these children. You may have sat next to one at church or at a community event. You may have seen one riding their bike in your neighborhood.

Please do not think this is not your business. It is your business. It is my business. These children are our children.

As I read through the “numbers”, faces of children I have worked with over the years flash in my mind’s eye. Some of them are ones that I was not happy with the outcomes and, if I am honest, I often wonder what happened after. What kind of adult are they? Are they happy? Did they find peace?

These are the thoughts that will be running through my brain, stealing sleep from me over the next few weeks. It happens every year after I read the Data Book. It’s predictable. I imagine there are Department of Human Services Supervisors and case workers doing the same.

Every year when the report is released I wonder what else I can do to keep that number from increasing. What else can the CAC do? What else can our community partners do?

We can’t bury our head in the sand and pretend it isn’t happening. Jackson County has the 9th highest rate of abuse per 1000 children in the state of Oregon.

No one entity and no one person is the answer. It takes all of us.

Not sure what you can do?

Let me suggest a few things:
- Make a donation to the Children’s Advocacy Center. We provide fantastic evidence based interventions to the abused children and their non-offending caregivers that we serve. We do not charge the families for these services. The bottom line is; it takes money to provide these services. Donate Now.
- Become a Children’s Advocacy Center volunteer. Or become a volunteer at The Family Nurturing Center or at CASA. We all need volunteers. We need people who can give some time that will help a child. The Advocacy Center needs some adults who can answer a phone, play a game of checkers, and make a phone call or two…..drink a cup a coffee with a non-offending caregiver or share a gold fish with a child while they are waiting for their appointment. Learn more about volunteering at the CAC or call Ginny at: vsagal@cacjc.org or 541-734-5437
- Take a class. The Children’s Advocacy Center has a prevention program called Protect Our Children that uses Darkness to Light’s curriculum “Stewards of Children” to teach adults to recognize and respond to child sexual abuse. It is an adult’s responsibility to keep kids safe but how can you do that if you don’t know how to identify it. Or even better, host a class for your church, your civic organization, your place of employment, your best friends—any group of people you are involved in. Schedule a class for yourself or your group
- Become a Foster Parent
- Talk to your legislative representatives about the importance of funding in programs that respond and intervene in child abuse. Talk to them about the CAC and the work that we do. Find your legislators
- Become informed. Attend the Free CAC Community Forum coming up on Nov. 7th regarding keeping kids safe on the internet.
You Matter.
Our New Development Director: Why the CAC?

By Julia Saemi, Development Director at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

So how does someone with an economics and budgeting background end up as a Development Director of a small non-profit?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten that question in the two months that I’ve been working at the Children’s Advocacy Center. It’s a good question. I worked for the Department of Treasury, I consulted for the Navy, and I worked on the budget team at Dartmouth College – why the CAC?

My answer is timing and the inspiring staff at the Center.

I’ve lived in Medford for just over a year and have a two-year-old son. I was looking for part-time work that was fulfilling and challenging. I had thought about working for a non-profit. I’ve done a lot of volunteering in the past, and always found that work grounding and incredibly meaningful. But nothing seemed to be working out, so I got in touch with a family friend – Dr. Miller. Her enthusiasm for the CAC is infectious. She gave me a tour, introduced me to Tammi, the Executive Director, and I was hooked. I signed up to volunteer that day.

Anyone who has interacted with the center can tell you that it takes no more than 5 minutes with anyone on staff to realize their passion for helping children and families.

It is truly amazing and inspiring. I’ve never felt so strongly about an organization in such a short period of time. The Children’s Advocacy Center proves that a small staff can have a significant and positive impact on hundreds of kids a year. It is this dedication that encouraged me to apply for the open Development Director position as I couldn’t think of a better way to dedicate the time away from my son.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first two months on the job and all the challenges that come with starting in a completely new field of work. There are days that I feel like the path leading to the Children’s Advocacy Center was meant to be.

It brings me back to my days of working on my Master’s Degree in Public Administration and making the decision to dedicate myself to public service. I go back to how I felt cooking and welcoming guests at David’s House in Hanover, New Hampshire – a small Ronald McDonald-type house for families to stay while their children are in the hospital. I am grateful to be given the opportunity to be part of the amazing team at the Children’s Advocacy Center.

I will do everything I can to be successful in supporting the Center in helping children recover from child abuse and find safety.
A Building Bridges Adventure with the CAC kids

By Virginia Sagal, Communication & Outreach Coordinator, The Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

The kids were waiting, very excited for the bus to arrive and take them to the Sanctuary One at Double Oak Farm!

There they would get a tour of the farm. The tour would include visiting with all the Sanctuary One animals. These animals come from abused and neglected situations and now are in a safe and secure environment.

When we arrived one hour later, we were met with the staff who would guide us through our tour. The kids were greeted first by the cats and dogs, which were in a separate area on the farm from the rest of the animals. They were allowed to pet them after being told that they are all a bit timid and need special care.

It was wonderful to see how gently cats were picked up and how carefully they treated the one dog that came up to them.

Then we were off to the pasture to be greeted by two very friendly little pigs that ran to them to say welcome. The kids were so happy and excited and bonded instantly. In the pasture they had the opportunity to pet all the other pigs, horses, and goats.

It was so special to see children who are going through therapy being social and nurturing to their fellow farm friends.

This is what our Building Bridges workshops are about. These activities help socialize the kids in nurturing environments — teaching care, love, and respect for others and animals. Children healing from abuse can have better outcomes in therapy, stronger relationships with family members and peers, and greater levels of participation in the community.
Good News: High school freshman making a difference

By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of The Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

My faith in humanity has been restored.

I have to be honest. I have been struggling the last couple of weeks. I have been struggling to reconcile the violence, the hatred, the arguing, the shaming, and the lack of empathy that plays out every day on the news with the vision of the world I have in my heart…the one I want my son to grow up in and be a part of.

It had left me in a major funk! Not quite depressed but unable to shake the hopelessness. Just when I thought it was going to take over and change this glass half full girl’s outlook, something wonderful happened and it totally snapped me out of it.

The something that happened was dreamed up by a 14 year old high school freshman. There is STILL good in this world. There are young people who care about the world around them. This weekend I witnessed it. A young man named Milan help restore my faith in humanity.

Last weekend was an event that was the culmination of a lot of hard work by Milan to put on a fun, free event that could raise awareness about Child Abuse and the services provided by the Children’s Advocacy Center. It was the Impact Soccer Clinic.

I spent that morning surrounded by 47 smiling children having the time of their life — learning new soccer skills from three awesome coaches who donated their time. I spent the morning watching parents and grandparents cheering on their budding soccer stars. I spent the morning being overwhelmed and humbled by the generosity of these families. The Impact Soccer Clinic was a free event however, if you had the means to put a donation in the jar, that was encouraged.

Milan loves to play soccer. AND he wants to make a difference in the community he lives in and for the children who suffer abuse. He decided to bring these two passions together and the end result was this wonderful event.

I was able to witness empathy and passion and a desire to leave the world a better place.

I was able to see a young man and his family do something wonderful for the community we live in.

Hope comes from the most unlikely places; you have only to be open to it. My hope for our world to recover comes in the form of a 14 year old young man who wants to make the world a better place. I believe he will do that.

I think he already has.

Visit our Facebook Page album for more pictures from Impact Soccer Clinic
Farewell to our Development Director, Michelle Wilson

By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

As I sit behind my computer staring at a blank screen I am very humbled and possibly somewhat overwhelmed.

Today I am writing about changes at the Children’s Advocacy Center. Changes that bring on both feelings of happiness and deep sadness. We are saying farewell to our Development Director, Michelle Wilson. She is moving on to new adventures that, unfortunately for us, include a new job.

Michelle has been part of the CAC team for seven years. Staying put for seven years in the same nonprofit is not something that happens very frequently. I like to say the players are always the same, just where they sit at the table is different.

Many people recognize Michelle as one of the faces of the CAC. Many people recognize Michelle as the person who raises revenue and rallies supporters for our agency. Today I want to invite you to look deeper at Michelle’s contribution to this community.

Without Michelle’s tireless efforts the CAC would not have been able to grow our capacity to serve the children and families we serve. Let that sink in a moment. Being the Development Director is so much more than just raising funds and awareness.

Michelle has helped behind the scenes insure our staff have what they need in order to help abused children journey to healing.

Literally thousands of children in Jackson County have been impacted by the work Michelle has done behind the scenes. Thousands of abused children have been able to get forensic interviews, therapy, mentoring opportunities, advocacy, and medical exams and begin to a journey of healing. Thousands of children understand that they have value. Thousands of children have the gift of knowing that their abuse does not have to define who they are.

Let’s change our lens and look at Michelle’s contribution from a different angle. There are many professionals in Jackson County who work tirelessly to protect the children of Jackson County who have received specialized training as a result of Michelle’s work. There are many professionals who were able to receive professional mentoring as a result of the funding secured through Michelle’s work. This training and mentorship multiplies those thousands of children impacted by her work, probably at least tenfold.

There are countless Board members that Michelle mentored. There are countless Board members that Michelle has helped recognize in themselves new skills and new strengths that they never knew they had. Michelle has done the same for many staff members.

From a more personal place, I would like to thank Michelle for making my transition into the Director’s position two years ago so much easier than it could have been.

It is always difficult to move to a new community. It is always difficult to take on a new leadership role. It is always difficult to come in and have new ideas and try to execute them in a place where there is an established culture. Michelle certainly helped to keep me on a pace that would help in my success in all those areas.

Tomorrow is Michelle’s last day with our Center as our Development Director. In a blog or newsletter in the near future I will be introducing the person who will be taking on the role of Development Director.

But for today in this moment, I am appreciating and recognizing Michelle’s contribution to our community. Today in this moment, I am recognizing that I am going to miss the daily check ins, the million emails, and the daily reminders to take care of myself. Today in this moment I will watch Michelle spread her wings just as a newly transformed butterfly does after emerging from their cocoon ready to tackle new challenges.

Transition is part of the life cycle of any nonprofit. We are definitely in another transition phase as committed staff members leave our agency to claim new adventures and new passions. I take heart that with every goodbye, we are saying hello to someone with new energy and new ideas that will take us to the next phase of our life cycle.
Making a difference in a child’s life

By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

I often get asked to explain how the CAC works and what difference it really makes in the life of an abused child.

I think my amazing seven your old son gave me the best story/metaphor to explain this. He teaches me all sorts of new things on a daily basis.

Recently he taught me about dream catchers. He made a dream catcher and he was explaining what it does. He told me that it catches the bad dreams and replaces them with good.

I was intrigued and did a little research. Dream catchers are a tradition of the Native American community. It was believed that it would protect you from nightmares by having positive dreams slip through the hole in the center of the dream catcher and glide down the feathers to the sleeping person below. The nightmares would get caught up in the web and disappear when the first rays of sun stuck them.

This concept is the very thing that the CAC model does for abused children. Only the web is catching abuse and hopefully stopping it as we bring it out into the open and “shed light” on the issue.

The Children’s Advocacy Center model (CAC) is built on the concept of the multidisciplinary team. Each agency that has a role in the investigation and intervention into child abuse, works together to meet the needs of the child at the heart of said investigation. These agencies include law enforcement, Department of Human Services, mental health providers, forensic interviewers, medical providers, prosecutors, and advocates.

Each team member represents a strand in the web of the dream catcher doing their part to change the predicted outcome for the abused children we serve. Each service provided does a little to bring safety to a child.

We all change the trajectory of an abused child’s life by putting in place services that will help stop the abuse and replace it with healing. What a beautiful gift to give to a child who has been abused!

The CAC puts a great big spot light on child abuse and hopefully by doing this we can make it stop. Much like the dream catcher holds bad dreams in its web until the sun rays hit them and make them disappear.

We provide a holistic approach to the intervention, investigation and prosecution of child abuse. We provide medical evaluation, diagnosis and treatment, therapeutic interventions, forensic interviewing and advocacy and support services for children 0 to 18 who have been victims of abuse or witness to violent crimes.

These services are so needed in order to not only stop the damage of abuse but to repair the damage caused by abuse.

These services literally save lives.
“I’ve never been broken” ~ A Survivor’s Story

By Helen Sutthill, a veterinarian, mother, gardener, and reader — who says she is lucky enough to have wonderful friends and an amazing adoptive family

For a long time, I didn’t talk about my childhood – the hunger, the lack of clothing, the sexual abuse, the beatings, the constant battering of words meant to tear me down. Part of this stemmed from the way teachers and the parents of my friends responded to my answers when they asked if I’d eaten or where the bruise or cut came from.

My parents didn’t have to hide it; we were a middle class, educated family. Abuse and neglect simply didn’t happen in good homes.

The world changed when I was 15, in 1981, when my best friend told our school counselor, who was a mandatory reporter. Two social workers, a man and a woman, came and removed me from school, and from my home. It was awful.

At that point, I wasn’t speaking because what I needed to say had been denied so long, that I didn’t see the point. I couldn’t share the back seat with the male social worker because I’d been raped and molested by my father. Because one of my friend’s father’s had attempted to molest me. Because my experience of men was that they groped at me.

Better to avoid.

So this poor man opened the door to the back seat for me, and I got in. He walked around the other side of the car, opened the door to the back seat, and I got out. Repeat this three times with a mute 15-year-old, and even I thought it was funny.

But I wasn’t getting in that backseat with that man. He ended up driving, while the woman sat in the back with me.

That man was a hero. The woman with him was a hero. The lawyer that advocated for me was a hero. The counselor they took me to was a hero.

When people ask me about my childhood, I’m aware that I have memories that shock and hurt people. Every counselor wants to explore it. Being abused means that a lot of people see me as broken.

I’ve never been broken. I’ve always been a whole and complete human who has had to live with horrible people, and have experienced some things that no one should have to experience.

I consider myself incredibly lucky. Throughout my life, there have been people who saw what was happening, and worked to make sure that I was okay. A restaurant owner made sure I was safe, fed and clothed when I was a young child. A teacher who bought me some clothes, and made sure I was fed in elementary school. My friend got help for me. Another friend’s parents took me in for the last two years of high school.

When I go to the grocery store, when I buy clothes for myself, I am aware of how lucky I am to be able to do so. I can sleep in my bed, and control what happens to my body. I am safe.
Child Abuse: A greater incident rate than cancer
By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of The Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

April is Child Abuse Prevention month. This is the time of year that we use to spread the word about the social and public health issue that plagues our children. Many people do not generally think about child abuse unless they work in the field or have had it impact their family.

In the United States, four children die every day as a result of child abuse or neglect.

Some reports say that statistic is low and is actually closer to five a day. Most reports state that a large number of those dying are under the age of one. One report states that 79% of the children that die as a result of abuse and neglect are under the age of three. That seems incredible! It is frightening! It seems epidemic.

In 2014, according to the Oregon Child Welfare Data Book, 13 children died as a result of abuse or neglect. There were 10,010 child abuse victims and 46.4% of those victims were under the age of six. Of incidents of abuse, 44.2% were incidents of neglect, 7.1% physical abuse, 6.3% sexual abuse, 1.5% mental injury and 40 % were considered threat of harm which could be related to domestic violence, drug use, sexual abuse, mental injury, or physical abuse.

This is not happening in some far off place. This is happening in Oregon.

Nationally, reports indicate that somewhere in the neighborhood of 90% of perpetrators of abuse are known by the children they abuse. They are people who are considered family or family-like.

The incidence rate of child abuse and neglect in this country is about ten times as high (40 children per thousand children per year) as the incidence rate for all forms of cancer (3.9 individuals per thousand individuals per year). This statistic is attributed to The Leadership Council on Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence.

I am also a supporter of cancer research, but when you think about it in terms of our addressing an issue equally in terms of importance; we do not put our money behind child abuse prevention. Not only do we not put our money behind child abuse prevention, we do not put our mouth behind it either.

While cancer is usually talked about in hushed tones, child abuse is rarely talked about at all.

In doing a google search for the top public health issue, child abuse does not even rank in most of the articles I read. Yet, if we look at the statistics of founded cases on both a national and state level, one can see it is clearly an issue that needs to be addressed.

Many people do not want to get “involved” in a situation that is considered “family business” by making a report. Others fear retribution if they make a report.

Recently, I spoke to a friend who had made report on behalf of a young family member. It has turned her family upside down. There has been much anger, fear, and anxiety experienced by all involved—the reporter, the perpetrator, the victim, those who support the perpetrator and those who support the victim. It is hard when you love both the victim and the perpetrator.

This friend is a hero of mine. In spite of all the chaos that ensued after the report was made, she has stood strong. She made the report. She protected the children involved. She has not stopped there. She is making it her business to protect all children.

While these statistics make some feel that it is hopeless, it isn’t. There are some things that we could all do.

Here is my top ten list in random order:
- Learn to recognize and respond to the signs of abuse. (Take a Protect Our Children class or host one for a group of your friends.)
- When you see something that does not seem right, make a report to DHS or law enforcement.
- Support those who make a disclosure of abuse. This can be as simple as not calling them a liar.
- Put everyone in your life on notice that you will not tolerate child abuse of any kind.
- Contact your elected officials on local, state, and national level and tell them keeping children safe from abuse is a priority for you.
- Vote for candidates that make children a priority.
- Donate your time, talent or treasure to an organization that works to protect children from abuse.
- Talk to the children in your life about what abuse is and what they should do if something happens to them. (This should include all kinds of abuse…bullying, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and emotional abuse.)
- BE PRESENT IN YOUR CHILD’S LIFE.
- When you see a parent struggling with their children in a public place, offer support instead of judgement.
If you want to learn more about any of these, to include learning “how” to do these, contact the Children’s Advocacy Center. If there is enough interest we will schedule a special class.

Here is a list of some fun activities you can participate in to let your community know that you will not stand for child abuse:

*Ongoing: The Change for Children Campaign will be taking place throughout the community.

This is an exciting collaborative project between, CASA, Children’s Advocacy Center and The Family Nurturing Center. Look for Change for Children donation jars at: The Butcher Shop, all Lithia car dealerships, Wamba Juice, Central Art Supply, Jackson Creek Pizza, Thai Bistro and Sunrise Cafe.

*April 16th: Panda Express Fundraiser

*April 23rd: Gamble for Good Poker Tournament Fundraiser

*April 25th: Protect Our Children Child Abuse Prevention Training

*April 27th and 28th: Recognizing and Responding to Child Abuse Training – Contact Ginny Sagal at: vsagal@cacjc.org for more information or to register
Hope in the most unlikely places

By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

April brings spring, renewal, energy and awareness on a very tough topic — Child Abuse.

I recently had a conversation with a woman who, like many other people who talk to me about my work, was very focused on the “depressing” part of my job. The conversations usually begin and end with something like, “You hear a lot of horrible things” or “ How do you sleep at night?”

I have even had people ask me what my job was and when I answered, they turned around and walked away. There were times in my younger years where people would not be friends with me because of what I did as a job. There were times that people would not date me because of what I did as a job. They would say things like “You are really nice, but I just don’t want to be around that stuff”.

I look back now and shake my head and wonder what in the world they thought I would be talking about with them. Most of the things that happened during the course of my work day were confidential and not things I could talk to anyone about. AND it is not like child abuse is contagious like the flu. When people have asked me to speak at an event or to talk about what I do, they always ask that I keep it light.

Here are the cold hard facts. Child abuse is not pretty. Child abuse is not glamorous. There are not many ways to keep that light and joyful. There are children who are hurt by someone they love multiple times a day, every single day. Child abuse is real. Child abuse is happening. Child abuse is being perpetrated by people I know. Child abuse is happening to children I know. Child abuse can be heinous and life impacting both physically and emotionally.

If there is one thing that working 26 years in the field of child abuse has taught me, it is that there is another side to the story.

There is much to be hopeful about. Yes. You read that right. I am hopeful.

When I was working as a forensic interviewer, I was happy to see children come to me. It made me feel relieved, even if for only a fleeting moment. The day they came through the door was the day that, just maybe, an adult could help make the abuse stop.

When I was working as a caseworker, even under the most stressful situations, I was glad to get reports assigned. It meant that someone cared enough about a child to pick up the phone and make a report. On the days that there were too many children and too many cases being sent my way to deal with, I knew that, for those children, there was hope. Hope for recovery. Hope for safety. Hope for a better tomorrow.

There is much to be hopeful about if we are all doing our part.

It is everyone’s responsibility to keep children safe. We can make a difference in the lives of our children and in the lives of children of future generations.

But… there is a price to be paid for that hope.

There has to be a shift in societal thinking and values. We HAVE to be able to talk about child abuse in order to educate the world about the scope of the problem. I truly believe that people in general do not understand the scope of the problem. We have to be able to talk to our children about appropriate boundaries. We have to be able to talk to the adults in our child’s life about what will be tolerated and what will not be tolerated in regards to behavior with and around our children.

We have to be able to talk to our legislative representatives about why child abuse prevention needs to be a top priority. We HAVE to end the silence. We HAVE to end the shaming of victims of child abuse. We HAVE to end the blaming of child abuse victims.

Child abuse is not a “child” problem. It is an “adult” problem. The problem is not with the child’s actions but with the adult’s action or reaction.

What if we all decided every morning that we were going to do one act during the day on behalf of a child? What if we all decided that today… right now… was the time to end child abuse?

I AM so hopeful. Children are continuing to need interviews, medical examinations and therapy assessments. We are overwhelmed some days with the amount of referrals and work there is to be done right here in Jackson County, but I am so hopeful.

Children mean that reports are being made. Medical evaluations mean that children get to learn that their bodies have not been broken by abuse. Therapy assessments mean that children get to learn that abuse has not made them worthless. Interviews mean that children have an opportunity to talk about what has happened and that an adult in a position to help make that abuse stop is ready to help them.

It is not hopeless. We only need to decide that we will be part of the paradigm shift that is needed in our world by starting to talk about what is child abuse and how to keep our children safe.

We are not powerless.

If we teach our children about what is abuse and if we talk about what will not be tolerated behavior with the adults in our children’s lives, we take back the power and we give to our children.
SOU volunteer reflects on her experience at CAC

My name is Cydney Reid and I am a volunteer at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County. I am currently a senior at Southern Oregon University studying psychology and sociology.

I first heard about the Children’s Advocacy Center through a friend who was already volunteering at the CAC. My friend had always expressed how she enjoyed volunteering at the CAC and really appreciated what she was learning.

For my senior project, I decided to commit to volunteering at the CAC for at least 100 hours during my winter term.

When I first began at the Children’s Advocacy Center, I only knew that they helped children and teens who have suffered from abuse. As I continued volunteering, I learned about the other wonderful things that the CAC has to offer. The CAC has toothpaste/toothbrush bags that are given to clients, they have a wide selection of gently used clothing to give out to those in need, and they have hundreds of teddy bears and stuffed animals that are waiting for a loving home.

The CAC offers a wide variety of services to those in need and will work hard to help in every way that they can.

The CAC is staffed by a variety of people ranging from intake and therapy to development and outreach. Each person that I have met at the CAC is extremely caring and passionate about what they are doing.

It is wonderful to be surrounded by people who love their jobs and are dedicated to the CAC.

I have only been a volunteer at the CAC for a little over a month and I have thoroughly enjoyed the time that I have spent here. I look forward to the next few months and seeing more of the amazing things that they do.

Cydney Reid