STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) — If you live in the Shenandoah Valley and are interested in helping children, now is the time to reach out to Blue Ridge CASA. That's the message JP Berrizbeitia, CEO of Blue Ridge CASA, is hoping to get out to the community.
Berrizbeitia said they need advocates more than ever right now. Right now, he said families are under a lot of stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that can mean more issues for children.
Typically, Berrizbeitia said schools are the number one reporter of issues at home, and they may be going unnoticed while students are out of school.
"We at Blue Ridge CASA, but also experts in the field, think that we don't have eyes on these kids right now, and when they go back to school in September, the number of children that are going to be detected that were suffering at home is going to skyrocket," Berrizbetia said.
As they anticipate the possible increase in cases, Berrizbeitia said they're encouraging people who may be willing to go through the training to become volunteers. If there aren't enough special advocates, some children won't be able to have an independent, citizen advocate to assist them. Blue Ridge CASA trains community volunteers to advocate for the hundreds of local children who are currently in the court system for abuse and/or neglect.
Despite the pandemic, Berrizbeitia said they're still doing what they can to help children, and they've adapting the best they can. They've moved a lot of their efforts online.
"We have not stopped working," Berrizbeitia said. "We did have to suspend, temporarily, taking on new cases for the past four weeks, because when we take on a new case, it requires in person interaction, a lot of interaction, and we were figuring out how to do that."
Now that this seems to be more of a long-term situation, Berrizbeitia said they're looking at how to be able to take on new cases.
They're also looking at when they'll be able to reschedule Top Chef Harrisonburg, which has raised $40,000 for Blue Ridge CASA since 2018. Berrizbeitia said they're hoping to have the event this summer, but they have to see what's possible.
They are looking at other efforts to help the organization financially during this time. Berrizbeitia said they've done their yearly mailing for donors, and have applied for loans.
"We're working with grants, looking for new grants, and looking for any other sources of income," Berrizbeitia said. "We hope to have an event in the summer."
You can find more information about becoming a court-appointed special advocate, or how to make a financial donation on their website.
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Blue Ridge CASA looking for more volunteers - WHSV
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