Imagine the Life of a Child
- Imagine being 12 years-old and not having a mother, father or any family member.
- Imagine being a teenager and not having any money to buy a Coke, much less go shopping.
- Imagine wondering what you would do when you turn 18 and now you are out on your own with no family to turn to for support.
- Imagine being scared and alone and crying all night – and having no father or mother to comfort you.
- Imagine going to strangers’ homes for the holidays because you have no where else to go.
- Imagine moving two or three or more times each year to a new school.
- Imagine having adults making all these decisions about your life, and you have no say.
- Imagine living in a group home with delinquent kids, and your only crime is you have no one to care for you.
It is hard for most of us to imagine the life of an abused child. But the situations above are real, and the children described above are living here in our community. These anecdotes are in their own words. Fortunately, we have Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers who have stepped up to help our community’s abused children. As a group, they have helped over 400 abused and neglected children – one child at a time - bringing some hope into lives of each child.