There are abused and neglected children in the Hancock County Court system waiting for a CASA volunteer. CASA of Hancock County, a program of Advocacy Network for Children, is recruiting its first group of volunteers for its upcoming training.

The evening training for CASA volunteers is throughout April and May concluding on May 22nd with court observation and swearing in of volunteers. Trainings will be held twice a week on Monday and Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the CASA office located in the First Baptist Church of Carthage, 601 Main Street.

CASA volunteers are trained community volunteers appointed by a judge to speak up for abused or neglected children in the court system. Volunteers receive 30 hours of training prior to case assignment. Training includes courtroom procedures, working with social service agencies and the special needs of abused and neglected children. Training is free with training manuals and materials provided. Once trained, CASA volunteers work alongside attorneys and social workers from case inception to its completion. CASA volunteers come from all walks of life and no special experience is required. These trained volunteers will represent abused and neglected children in the Hancock County court system.

For more information or to obtain an application, please call Mandy Humphry at 319-795-3714 or email mhumphry@advonet.org.

Please join us in welcoming our new employees!

Mandy Humphry is our Hancock County CASA Coordinator. Mandy enjoys volunteering at Son Valley Youth Ranch,in Northeast Missouri, where she directs the programs for children and teens at her mother’s horse ministry. As an adoptive mother herself, Mandy also provides support and guidance to foster care and adoptive families through Christian Adoption Resources and Education for Hancock Co. IL. She and her husband John, along with their four children live in small town Hamilton, IL.

Ali Hibbert is originally from Quincy, IL and a graduate from Quincy Notre Dame Hugh School and is joining our staff as the CASA Volunteer Coordinator. She just moved back to the area after two years of living in Jacksonville, IL with her husband John. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Western Illinois University and went on to receive her master’s degree in forensic psychology this past December from Nova Southeastern University. She has always had a passion and general concern for the safety and well-being of children and is enthusiastic about beginning this endeavor with CASA.

Sam Zenner, our Pike County CASA Coordinator, is 23 years old and has lived in Pittsfield most of her life. Sam graduated from Pittsfield High School, received her Associates degree in Psychology from JWCC and completed her Bachelors in Social Work from UIS. She decided to pursue this career path her Junior year of High School and has been passionate about it ever since.

Thank you to everyone who showed up for the “big game” on March 9 at the Ambiance Arena. There were 215 reserved tickets for the March Madness Fundraiser. You played with heart and passion!

First things first! Thank you to the Fundraising Dinner Committee members aka our Team Captains – Jessica Landwehr, Denise Tallcott, Elizabeth (Liz) Hultz, Kori Griffin, Liz Koch, Kristopher Kutcher, Itty Scholz, Deanne Corzatt, and Shannon Nicholas.

Next our Dinner Sponsors – our first string players (yeah, there’s too many listed but that’s okay) – Mercantile Bank, Quincy Recycle, Knapheide Manufacturing, Stevenson Paxton Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, The Salty Sun, Kristopher’s Hair Studio, Titan International, Inc., State Street Bank, HOMEBANK, Gardner Denver, Dreasler Communications, Something Borrowed, Freiburg Insurance Agency, Rinella Company, R.L. Brink Corp., Quincy Medical Group, JK Creative Printers, Schmiedeskamp, Robertson, Neu & Mitchell, Emotion Belly Books – Tracy Schlepphorst, Refreshment Services Pepsi and MC for the auction Jeff Oberling.

And last, but certainly not least, our MVP’s of the night – our donors. You brought your “A” game and helped us raise almost $38,000.00! You deserve a standing ovation!

Thanks to your generosity of heart we can continue to protect and uphold the rights of children when wrongs have been committed against them, to help abused or neglected children have safe permanent homes where they can thrive, to act as a powerful voice in these children’s best interests and to educate the public about the plight of abused children.