Successful Ray of Hope brunch spreads CASA awareness

WALLACE — The North Idaho branch of the Court Appointed Special Advocate group held a successful Ray of Hope fundraising brunch this last Sunday to help cover the costs of the invaluable service they provide to local children without a voice.

Advocate supervisor for Shoshone and Benewah counties, Jessica Cagle, said more than 30 people attended the open-house style event at Oliver’s Mercantile in Wallace.

“It was one of our best attended events in Shoshone County,” she said. “Olivier’s was a great space to hold the event. Ali Koski and her staff were so helpful and accommodating. We are so grateful for their generosity and support for the program.”

Guests were encouraged to bid on a few silent auction items, enjoy some live music and partake in brunch food while enjoying bottomless mimosas — all for a mere $15 donation to the cause.

All the money raised from the event goes toward CASA’s effort to lookout for those who cannot lookout for themselves.

In the state of Idaho, a juvenile under the age of 12 is not assigned representation in a courtroom for Child Protective Service cases. Instead, they are assigned a CASA Advocate to help make themselves heard during what could possibly be a defining moment in their lives.

The organization as a whole covers the five North Idaho counties — Benewah, Shoshone, Kootenai, Bonner and Boundary. In 2019, North Idaho CASA handled 23 cases involving 34 children in Shoshone County alone.

These numbers are not surprising considering that Idaho ranks fifth highest for children experiencing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which include abuse, neglect and household dysfunction. Compound this statistic with the fact that 26% of children in Shoshone County live in poverty and it is clear that there is an issue that needs to be addressed.

In an effort to raise awareness of CASA, Cagle said that more of these social style events are planned to occur every quarter.

“The hope is to educate the community about how CASA advocates for children in our community and share the different ways people can volunteer or donate,” she added. “There are opportunities for people to become an advocate, board member, liaison or be a financial sponsor/donor.”

Shoshone County currently has five active CASA volunteers, each with at least one case with most advocating for multiple children. The group is currently recruiting more local volunteers for Shoshone County so every child victim of abuse and neglect has an advocate.

“These advocates do admirable work and are dedicated to providing a voice for each child in need,” Cagle said.

For more information on CASA in the Silver Valley, contact Jessica Cagle at 208-667-9165 or email her at jessica@northidahocasa.org.