Child Advocacy Newsletter

January 2023

Dear Staci,

Welcome to 2024 - We are excited for another year full of great things and collaboration. If you have not had the chance please like us on Facebook, Child Advocacy - Gratiot County!

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter,

Staci Bigelow

Volunteer/Event Coordinator

Check out our website www.childadvocacy.net.

Child Advocacy Lunch & Learn

NO JANUARY LUNCH & LEARN SCHEDULED

We will see you in February!

Lunch & Learns are held the first Thursday of each month at Child Advocacy with the exception of January and July.

Gratiot County Substance and Suicide Prevention Coalition Meeting

Monday, January 8, 2024

1:00 p.m.

If interested in attending or for more information please email Emily at emily@childadvocacy.net.

Caregiver Support Group Meeting

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

6:00 p.m.

Please email Michelle at michelle@childadvocacy.net for more information.

Child Abuse and Neglect Council Advisory Committee

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Please contact Morgan at morgan@childadvocacy.net for more information.

Suicide Prevention Training

QPR - Question, Persuade, Refer

Thursday, January 11, 2024

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Please see the detailed flyer below for event information and registration details.

Survivors Of Suicide Group

Wednesday, January 16, 2024

7:00 p.m.

Please see the flyer below for more information or email Emily at emily@childadvocacy.net.

DARKNESS TO LIGHT'S Stewards of

Children Training

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Registration required and limited to 15 participants. Contact Morgan at 989-463-1422 or morgan@childadvocacy.net to reserve your space.

Gratiot County Breastfeeding Coalition

The training listed below will take the place of the meeting this month.

Lactation Supporter Training

Wednesday. January 31, 2024

10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Please see the detailed flyer below for event information and registration details.

For more information on upcoming events and trainings please see detailed flyers below or visit our website at www.ChildAdvocacy.net

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

Jennifer Stambaugh

President & CEO

jennifer@childadvocacy.net

Pam Scherzer

Office Manager

pam@childadvocacy.net

Staci Bigelow

Event/Volunteer Coordinator

staci@childadvocacy.net

Emily Rayburn

GCSSPP Program Director

emily@childadvocacy.net

Sara Krebs

GCSSPP Coordinator

sara@childadvocacy.net

Caleb Loomis

GCSSPP Educator

Caleb@childadvocacy.net

Rachel Molands

GCSSPP Educator

rachel@childadvocacy.net

Morgan Rooy

CAN Program Director

morgan@childadvocacy.net

Richelle Davis

CAN Prevention Educator

richelle@childadvocacy.net

Ashley Tupper

Pantry Program Coordinator

ashley@childadvocacy.net

Amanda Siddall

Breastfeeding Coalition Coordinator

amanda@childadvocacy.net

Michelle Zombeck

CASA Program Director

michelle@childadvocacy.net

Heather Therrien

CAC Program Director

heather@childadvocacy.net

Darby Chaffin

CAC Victim Advocate

darby@childadvocacy.net

Mandi Luft

CAC Case Manager

mandi@childadvocacy.net

Donate

Like us on Facebook

Visit our Website

Gratiot County Substance & Suicide Prevention Program

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month!

There are two different types of human trafficking, and they are broken down into sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Labor trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals perform labor or services through the use of force, fraud or coercion. Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals perform commercial sex through the use of force, fraud or coercion. Minors under the age of 18 engaging in commercial sex are considered victims of human trafficking, regardless of the use of force, fraud or coercion.

There are a number of myths and misconceptions that individuals have regarding human trafficking which include:

It is always or usually a violent crime

Only undocumented foreign nationals get trafficked in the United States

Only women and girls can be victims and survivors of sex trafficking

Traffickers target victims they don’t know

People being trafficked are physically unable to leave their situations, and are locked in/held against their will

It is important that the community be aware of potential indicators of human trafficking which may include but are not limited to:

Avoiding social situations/not able to go out alone

Tattoos/branding

Being fearful of authorities

Unstable living situations/homelessness

Physical injuries including bruises and burns

These are only a few possible signs and not a guarantee that an individual is in a human trafficking situation. There are systems in place that allow for these victims to be properly identified and provided with appropriate services.

If you suspect that someone is being human trafficked, please reach out to your local law enforcement agency. You can also contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888.

January 11th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Please join Child Advocacy as we wear BLUE to show support for raising awareness on January 11th. Encourage everyone around you to participate in #WearBlueDay and to send Child Advocacy your photos with the hashtag #WearBlueDay so they can be shared on our Facebook Page.

Mandi Luft

CAC Case Manager

Greetings,

Happy New Year! I am looking forward to all that 2024 has in store. I am grateful to all of you that supported Child Advocacy this past year by attending our events, donating, volunteering your time, or just offering encouragement. We could not offer the programs and services that we do without all of the support from all of you!

We are excited to announce that we were awarded a grant through Children Trust Michigan that will allow us to expand our direct service child abuse prevention programming efforts in Gratiot County for 2024. This grant funding supports a Parenting Class called Make Parenting a Pleasure and a fatherhood class called 24/7 Dad. Additionally, this grant will allow for more one on one support through our Pantry Programs and our Breast-Feeding Coalition. Please follow us on Facebook for future details on the classes. We hope to kick off both in the Spring!

Cheers to 2024!

Jennifer Stambaugh

President & CEO

Child Advocacy Flyers