Meraux Foundation Donates $30,000 to Arabi CASA

St. Bernard Parish was recently chosen by the National CASA Association as one of 16 communities for a local CASA branch. A charitable donation of $30,000 from the Meraux Foundation helped CASA begin its important work in our community.

St. Bernard CASA is a community branch of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a national non-profit organization that serves as a liaison for foster children navigating the legal system. CASA services are provided by appointed volunteers who serve as a constant adult presence for children removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. CASA volunteers not only advocate for the best interests of the children in court, but help to secure safe and permanent homes for abused and neglected children.

CASA relies on financial support from individuals and businesses within their communities to sustain operations and enhance services for the children they benefit. The Meraux Foundation’s $30,000 donation matched the financial support provided by Jewelers For Children, the leading private supporter of National CASA.

A swearing-in ceremony took place in Arabi on May 11, 2016, where nine new CASA advocates joined the ranks of volunteers across the state to provide a critical voice for abused and neglected children in St. Bernard Parish. Providing training, support and resources for new CASA advocates would not be possible without generous donations from the community.

Check out this video to learn more about CASA, and the impact you could have as a CASA advocate:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPJXU-FKq1U

The stable and continuous presence of a CASA advocate is invaluable to a child who is struggling with the complexity of the legal system. To learn more, or to get involved with CASA, visit http://www.casaneworleans.org/.