Giving a Voice to Abused and Neglected Children in Saline County Illinois
SIGN UP TODAY TO BE A VOLUNTEER
Next training begins February/March 2020
Call 618 253 3355 for more information or check out the dates and times at
https://www.facebook.com/events/140383690057468/
Training sponsored in part by Ameren Illinois and the Poshard Foundation
UPCOMING EVENTS
We are planning something exciting for the Fall, keep checking back.
NEWS
Kids, Courts and Schools
Children of Substance Abuse Parents and CASA
Signs of Possible Child abuse and Neglect
PROGRAM PARTNERS
Facebook Posts
If you missed the 2019 Halloween Bash Saturday night, you missed a good time! Special Thank you to Scott Stout and his helpers and Wooded Hills Bar & Grill for the great meal. Katie Martin for being our DJ for the evening and Bryan Questelle for always being willing to help out and be our last minute dessert auctioneer. He can now add that to his list of many talents! Thank you to all the bakers, the desserts looked amazing and helped us raise about $1100. I am sure that tasted wonderful too! Thank you to those that came and participated in our pumpkin contest and costume contest. Thank you to Commercial Janitorial Services, John & Marilyn McGill, Patrick Windhorst, Logan Warren, Scott & Susan Bevis, Davie and Angie Kyle, WKI, those at Ferrell Hospital, Bob Oglesby, Leigh and Joel Irvin, Troy Angelly, those from Egyptian Health, WLC Management, Natalie Miller and Terry Gorden, David & Kathryn Delucca and David Morse and his gang at Country Financial and Darrell Simon for their donations. I am bad about taking pictures but here are just a few. So grateful to have the support of all of you!
Skeletor says it’s almost time for Casa’s big Halloween bash. The tables are set and the photo birth is ready. Come and join us at the Bonan Business center. Social hour at 6 p and dinner at 7p by Wooded Hills Bar & Grill. $35 per person or $200 for table of 6. Then after you finish your hayrides, wedding or football game stop by and enter for $10 for some dancing with DJ Katie Martin till 9ish. You will be glad you did and all proceeds go toward advocacy for abused and neglected children in Saline county.
I am overwhelmed by the support we get from our community. Today, the SIU Credit Union siucu.org/ hosted their annual giving day and we were among 5 chosen. They not only donated monetarily but also donated gifts for our children. We appreciate all you do in assisting us in helping the abused and neglected children of Saline County.
Featured Advocate: John Michael Mott
In the small town of Rosiclare, Illinois, on November 22, 1964, I entered this world. As Dr. Goldstein would tease me later in life while in front of people, he would say, Ladies did you know I was the first person to ever spank his butt”. Like so many others, I admired him and his wife. I lived in Hardin County until I was 5, that's when dad moved us to Harrisburg. As a child I would spend every summer in Hardin County with my Grandparents who raised me in church, and dreaded coming back to real life. I attended the Harrisburg School System and graduated High School in 1983.
Having come from humble beginnings, I had to work when I was a kid. I held many jobs in my youth. My least favorite was hauling hay. I am also a carpenter. I was working building houses at the age of 19, when in November of 1984, the Illinois Department of Corrections called and offered me a job at Shawnee Correctional Center. I accepted and became a prison guard. This job would change my life forever.
By having a good paying job, I was able to attend SIC, where I studied Administration of Justice. During these years I also became a part time police officer in Elizabethtown and Rosiclare. I took these jobs to build my Resume in hopes of a brighter future with the department of corrections and it worked.
As a Correctional Officer, part time police officer, and student, I started a 30 year career with the Dept. of Corrections. I was able to promote to Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Chief of Security, Superintendent, and Duty Warden. I've worked in almost every facility in southern Illinois and never had to move away from Harrisburg.
My last position in the department was as Superintendent of the Hardin County Work Camp. I loved that job. In prison, unless your the Chaplain or a school teacher, you never get to see a change or realize you're making a difference in peoples lives. As the Superintendent of the work camp I worked closely with public officials providing them with inmate labor to meet the needs of the communities in Hardin, Saline, and Gallatin counties. We build houses for Lutheran Social Services, Habitat for Humanity, built and auctioned different items and donated them to charity organizations. During my tenure there over $50,000 was donated to charity. Making a difference in peoples lives is a powerful and rewarding thing.
I retired in 2014. Being a volunteer with CASA allows me to continue making a difference in other peoples lives. Southern Illinois has been good to me and I have a desire to give back. Being a father of a 12 year daughter, I know the importance of having a home that is safe, a family that loves and cares. I have a soft spot for the most vulnerable of our society, and that is for kids and the elderly. These two groups deserves the most from us. I am proud to serve the children and families of Saline County.
My name is John Michael Mott, I am married to Kerry Little of Ridgway. Along with my daughter Presley, we live in Harrisburg and attend New Life Full Gospel Church. I am honored to serve as a CASA volunteer.
If you are an AmazonSmile customer, you can now support Casa Of Saline County Inc in the Amazon shopping app on your Android device! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations.
If you have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping App, open the App on your Android device.
View Settings and select AmazonSmile.
Follow the in-App instructions to complete the process.
If you do not have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping App, update your App.
AmazonSmile is not currently available for iOS users. We will notify AmazonSmile charities when it becomes available.
Our Gallery
About CASA
Saline County CASA trains community members to advocate for abused and neglected children who are in the court system because of abuse and/or neglect. Saline County CASA currently has 21 advocates serving 91 children. There are 25 on the waiting list for a CASA. The advocates speak up for these children with the court system, social service agencies, and others involved in the child’s life.
Saline County CASA has a Board of Directors consisting of 8 community members who volunteer their time to the program. These 8 members make the by-laws and take care of fundraising efforts to support the program. The Saline County CASA Board of Directors meet once a month and call special meetings when necessary.
To reach our goal and insure that every child receives a safe home, CASA would like to have an advocate for every abused and neglected child who enters the Saline County Juvenile Court System. New advocates are needed! To become an advocate or make a donation, contact our office at 618 253-3355 or contact any member of the board.
What is a CASA Advocate?
A CASA Advocate is a community member who gives of their time to ensure that abused and neglected children receive a safe, nurturing, permanent home as quickly as possible. They do this by gathering facts, discerning options, and preparing reports for the court. They also assist the court and social agencies in eliminating delays, advancing the child’s case in a timely fashion, and monitoring the case until a final outcome is achieved.
To become an advocate, one must pass a preliminary screening process, complete a 30 hour training program, and observe 6 hours of court procedures. We need your help! Call today 618-253-3355.