April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Family Advocates is using this time as an opportunity to educate parents and families about the reality of abuse and neglect in our own community. As part of our initiative to help others understand the problem of child abuse and how to prevent it, we have invited students from LaPorte County middle and high schools to participate in the Wings of Blue – We Need YOU Art Contest to help raise awareness. The 66 submitted projects will be exhibited at 526 Franklin Square in the Uptown Art District in Michigan City as part of the First Friday’s event on April 3rd. At 6:30pm, contest judges Elise Nothstine from Dunebrook, Jenny Rusbolt from IU Health La Porte Hospital and local artist Cecile Wrobleski will judge the submitted art. As a partnership with IU Health La Porte Hospital, the artwork will be displayed around the community at the hospital and medical clinics of IU Health. Contest awards will be presented at the upcoming Family Advocates Volunteer Appreciation Banquet on April 24th.
On April 24th Family Advocates, Dunebrook, Unity Foundation and La Porte Circuit Court are offering a unique training opportunity for professionals working with abused and neglected children, The Impact of Pre- and Postnatal Parental Substance Use on Child Development by presenter Jimmy Widdifield Jr., M.A. This training is offered in either a morning session from 9:00 – 11:30AM or afternoon session from 1:00 – 3:30PM at Pottawattomie Country Club. Registration is required and can be completed at www.lpcasa.com.
On April 24th the Volunteers from the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program and the Court Appointed Youth Advocates (CAYA) programs will be recognized for all their selfless work during our annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet at Pottawattomie Country Club in Michigan City. Tickets are on sale for $35 at www.lpcasa.com, sponsorship opportunities for the event are available, or you may sponsor the ticket of one of our volunteers. Sponsors for this event include IU Health La Porte Hospital, WIMS AM 1420, Sauer’s Automotive, Friedman & Associates P.C., General Insurance Services, ADH Leasing Co, LLC and Industrial Maintenance Welding & Machining Company, Inc.
Family Advocates can be contacted at 219.324.3385, with a location of 1005 Michigan Avenue, La Porte, IN 46350.
