CA with tag line 

 525 N. State Street · Suite 4 · Alma, MI 48801 
(989) 463-1422


I've learned - that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

- Anonymous
In This Issue
About Us 

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
 
Sara Krebs 
Coalition Coordinator 
 
 Richelle Davis 
Prevention Educator
 
Michelle Zombeck 
 CASA Coordinator    
 
Heather Therrien  
CAC Coordinator
 
Nicole Showers
CAC Case Manager

Mallory Harrier
CAC Intake Coordinator
 
Staci Bigelow
Event/Volunteer Coordinator

Morgan Rooy
CAN Coordinator 
 
 
Board of Directors  

President
Carolyn Studley
Community Represenative
   
Vice President 
Matt Schooley
City of Alma Transportation
 
Secretary
Jennifer Stambaugh
DeafBlind Central
   
Treasurer
Sara Bonacci
Sara Bonacci Photography
  
Steve Benn
Detective/Sgt.
MI State Police

 
Wendy Currie 
Mid MI District Health Dept

Colleen Davis
Prosecuting Attorney's Office 
   
Jim Dubey
Garr Tool

Rob DuHadway
DuHadway Dance Dimensions 

Tammy Halfmann
Mercantile Bank

David Justin
 Alma School Board
  
Jennifer Leppien
CASA

John Morey
CPA

Mike Morris
Detective/Sgt. Gratiot Co. Sheriff's Dept. 
     
Alison Morrison
Dept. of Health and Human Services 
   
Jamie Richardson
Doehring Schultz Insurance Agency

Jennifer Siefker
Tri Lakes Petroleum
  
Steve Vernon
 Gratiot Integrated Health Network

Wes Wickes
Central MI Youth for Christ

Mark Williams
Detective/Sgt.
Alma Police Depart.

Joe Yourchock
Community Representative


Car

Seat Safety

 

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
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
 
Breckenridge Police Dept.
 104 E. Saginaw 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 
 
These sites accept
prescription pills and patches.
Program Needs

Gas Cards 
to help cover the cost for medical travel to Grand Rapids or help with transportation of foster children.

Gift Cards to Walmart and Meijer to purchase the specific needs of a child. 
 
Drawing Paper

Puzzles

New Children's Books

Play-dough

Games for younger children to play

Capri Sun Juice Box's

Bottled Water


Community donations help the quality of our programs and are greatly appreciated. Donations can be made directly at Child Advocacy or by contacting our office. (989) 463-1422

Your Feedback!

"I can confidently speak for all of our dancers, parents, and students who attended as guests that this is a great event that we are so proud to be part of each year."

-Jillian and Rob DuHadway
DuHadway Dance Dimensions

Quick Links

 
Join Our Mailing List
 
 
Spring is right around the corner and it's time to start training for our 10th annual Superhero 5K event!  Mark your calendars for May 13th.

March is Parenting Awareness Month.   We hope you will consider attending one of our parenting classes, visiting our lending library, and/or attending one of our fun family events. 

Parenting is for a lifetime.

Child Advocacy Staff
Check out our website www.linkforfamilies.org .
Upcoming Events


CASA Trivia Night  The Sequel
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Alma Elks Lodge # 1400 - Alma
Doors open at 6:30, Trivia Play begins at 7:30

No Silent Auction, No Big Production, No Kidding
Just Trivia!

Team tables now available. Click here to print a registration form, for more information please contact Michelle at (989)463-1422.


Charity Basketball Game
Alma High School Alumni vs. Ithaca High School Alumni
Friday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m
Alma High School Gymnasium

Proceeds to benefit Child Abuse and Neglect programs
of Gratiot County. 


Child Advocacy Superhero 5K
Please mark your calendar for our annual 5K race! 
Saturday, May 13 at 9:00 a.m.
Alma Armory, 710 N. State St.

Online registration is now available at  runsignup.com 
or Click here to print a registration form.


Child Advocacy Banquet
Join us as we celebrate those who advocate and care for children and for those who strive to improve the welfare of children and their families!  

Wednesday, May 24 
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. 
Central Michigan Youth for Christ - Alma

Please call the Child Advocacy office at (989) 463-1422 to purchase tickets in advance.
March is Parenting Awareness Month
By: Pam Mahin
Office Manager

"Got a minute? Give it to your kid."  What an awesome saying!  Another one you may have heard is, "Parents: the anti drug."  Studies continue to show that kids who spend time with their parents are less likely to use tobacco, drugs, and alcohol, and fare better emotionally.  Children who receive high levels of love and support from families at home, and out in community activities, are well on their way to becoming healthy, confident, and productive adults. 

Everyday life is demanding and busy, but time invested in our children is time well spent: so this month, write family time right into your calendar. Ask your teen's advice on what you should wear to that school sporting event. Sit down to a meal together as often as possible, and thank your child when he or she does or says something nice or helpful. You might even want to make that thank-you more meaningful by putting it in writing and sending a thank you note. 

You might also consider attending a parenting class to learn new skills or brush up on the ones you already have.  For more information on classes offered through Child Advocacy, please call 989-463-1422.

You ARE important in the life of your child  . . . and by the way, you're doing a good job!
Princess & Pirates Party 






Thank you Youth for Christ, Sara Bonacci Photography, Miller Auto, Kiwanis Club, Michael Richard Flowers, Reynolds Family Clowning, all of our volunteers, DuHadway Dance Dimensions (Rob, Jillian, Dance Mom's, and Elite Team Dancer's), Department of Health and Human Services, Gratiot Integrated Health Network, MAC TV, and our amazing hair stylists Samantha Allen (Fringe 101), Hailee Chubb (Headliners), Marie Lux (Fringe 101), and Dawn Luckey (Le Zebra). 

We would also like to thank the staff at Child Advocacy and everyone who bought tickets and supported our fundraiser!!!
How We Teach Our Children 
NOT to Trust Their Gut
By: Richelle Davis
Prevention Educator

In Protect Yourself, we teach the children how to RECOGNIZE that gut feeling and to LISTEN to it when it is going off.  But sometimes, we as parents are teaching our children just the opposite and are instructing our children not to listen to it at all times.

How often do we force our children to hug or kiss someone?  "Go give your Aunt a kiss."  How often do we send the message that they are being rude if they don't want to give someone a hug and we force them to do it anyway, against their will?  Instead we should respect our children's desire to not hug and kiss people and should treat them how to politely decline.  Children have amazing intuition and we should teach them to trust their gut and not force them to have physical contact with anyone they do not want to.

We teach them to listen to all adults, no matter what.  Of course we want to teach our children to be respectful to adults, but we also must let them know when they do NOT have to listen to them.  Plenty of children in abuse situations listened to a grown up tell them to go into a room alone, play body games, keep their games a secret.  Instead, we need to teach them to listen to adults UNLESS someone tries to hurt them, touch their private parts, or keep a body secret.  Then they do not have to listen, even if that person is an adult.  Even if that person is an adult they know.

Our gut instinct is a primal skill that keeps us alive.  Foster this skill in your children.  Teach them to listen and trust their gut feeling.
Scheduled Classes
 

Foster/Adoptive/Relative Care Support Group
Tuesday, March 14
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 
New Location: East Superior Christian Church - Alma
 
Please call our office at (989) 463-1422 to register for the class.


Gratiot County Substance Abuse Coalition Meeting
Monday, March 13
1:00 p.m.
Youth for Christ 
2550 W. Cheesman Rd. 
Alma, MI 48801

Please call Sara at 989-463-1422 with any questions


Nurturing Parenting Program
For Parents and Their School Age Children(5-11 years old)
January 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 
Dinner will be provided
First United Methodist Church
116 S. Franklin St. 
St. Louis, MI 48880

Free Training presented by Child Advocacy and Gratiot County Substance Abuse Coalition

10-Session Group-Based Program for Both Parents and Children that Teaches:
  • How to increase empathy
  • Nurturing ways to encourage appropriate behaviors
  • Building Self-esteem and self-concept
  • How to have fun as a family

Contact Morgan Rooy at Child Advocacy to Register

(989)463-1422.

Happy Spring....almost!

As you can see we are very busy here at Child Advocacy.  We have several events, fundraisers, and classes coming up in the coming months.  We hope you will join us at one or more of our events. 

I was talking with a gentleman last week and he was surprised to hear about all that we do here at Child Advocacy, so I thought I would share some basic information about the agency.  Child Advocacy is a private non-profit that serves as an umbrella for several programs in the county.  These programs include; Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, The Children's Advocacy Center, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and Substance and Suicide Prevention.  Our agency is unique in that we are the only agency in the State of MI with all of these programs under one umbrella.  How neat is it that in Alma, Michigan we serve thousands of children and their families with all of our services?  Our programs include; car seat safety, an educational lending library, self protection/body safety classes for elementary students, vendor education for businesses who sell tobacco and alcohol, suicide prevention training's, parenting classes, foster parent support group, forensic interviewing of victims of child abuse, victim and family advocacy, and so much more! 

We would love to tell you more about what we do.  If you belong to a group, church, social club, or organization that would like to hear more about our services please call us for a presentation.  We would also love to give you a tour of our agency and introduce you to our staff.  Please call us anytime for more information 989-463-1422.

Sincerely,
Audra Stahl
Executive Director