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About Us
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Child Advocacy is a non-profit agency with a mission to
improve the welfare of children and their families through education, training, and support for the prevention of substance abuse and child abuse and neglect.
Our Staff
Audra Stahl
Executive Director
Pam Mahin
Office Manager
Ty Warczinsky
GCSAC Coordinator
Sara Krebs
Coalition Coordinator
Richelle Davis
Prevention Educator
Michelle Zombeck
CASA Coordinator
CAC Coordinator
Nicole Showers
CAC Case Manager
Mallory Harrier
CAC Intake Coordinator
Staci Bigelow
Event/Volunteer Coordinator
Morgan Rooy
Board of Directors
President
Carolyn Studley
Community Represenative
Vice President
Matt Schooley
City of Alma Transportation
Secretary
Jennifer Stambaugh
DeafBlind Central
Treasurer
Sara Bonacci
Sara Bonacci Photography
Steve Benn
Detective/Sgt.
MI State Police
Wendy Currie
Mid MI District Health Dept
Colleen Davis
Prosecuting Attorney's Office
Jim Dubey
Garr Tool
Rob DuHadway
DuHadway Dance Dimensions
Tammy Halfmann
Mercantile Bank
David Justin
Alma School Board
Jennifer Leppien
CASA
John Morey
CPA
Mike Morris
Detective/Sgt. Gratiot Co. Sheriff's Dept.
Alison Morrison
Dept. of Health and Human Services
Jamie Richardson
Doehring Schultz Insurance Agency
Jennifer Siefker
Steve Vernon
Gratiot Integrated Health Network
Wes Wickes
Central MI Youth for Christ
Mark Williams
Detective/Sgt.
Alma Police Depart.
Joe Yourchock
Community Representative
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Did you know that at Child Advocacy we can install and provide a safety inspection for your child safety seat? Child Advocacy has a nationally certified safety seat technician available!
To make an appointment call
989-463-1422
or 800-552-4489
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Permanent Prescription Drug Drop Off
Site
Gratiot Co. Sheriff
226 E. Center
Ithaca
open 24 hrs./day
7 days/week
Alma Police Dept.
525 E. Superior St.
Hours
8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Monday - Friday
Breckenridge Police Dept.
104 E. Saginaw St.
Hours
8:00 a.m.- 5:00
p.m.
Monday - Friday
St. Louis Police Dept.
108 W. Saginaw St.
Hours
Mon. 7 - 3
Tues. - Fri. 8 - 4
These sites accept
prescription pills and patches.
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Program Needs
Gas Cards
to help cover the cost for medical travel to Grand Rapids or help with transportation of foster children.
Gift Cards to Walmart and Meijer to purchase the specific needs of a child.
Drawing Paper
Puzzles
New Children's Books
Play-dough
Games for younger children to play
Capri Sun Juice Box's
Bottled Water
Community donations help the quality of our programs and are greatly appreciated. Donations can be made directly at Child Advocacy or by contacting our office. (989) 463-1422
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Your Feedback!
"I can confidently speak for all of our dancers, parents, and students who attended as guests that this is a great event that we are so proud to be part of each year."
-Jillian and Rob DuHadway
DuHadway Dance Dimensions
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Spring is right around the corner and it's time to start training for our 10th annual Superhero 5K event! Mark your calendars for May 13th.
March is Parenting Awareness Month. We hope you will consider attending one of our parenting classes, visiting our lending library, and/or attending one of our fun family events.
Parenting is for a lifetime.
Child Advocacy Staff
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Upcoming Events
CASA Trivia Night
The Sequel
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Alma Elks Lodge # 1400 - Alma
Doors open at 6:30, Trivia Play begins at 7:30
No Silent Auction, No Big Production, No Kidding
Just Trivia!
Team tables now available.
Click here to print a registration form, for more information please contact Michelle at (989)463-1422.
Charity Basketball Game
Alma High School Alumni vs. Ithaca High School Alumni
Friday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m
Alma High School Gymnasium
Proceeds to benefit Child Abuse and Neglect programs
of Gratiot County.
Child Advocacy Superhero 5K
Please mark your calendar for our annual 5K race!
Saturday, May 13 at 9:00 a.m.
Alma Armory, 710 N. State St.
Child Advocacy Banquet
Join us as we celebrate those who advocate and care for children and for those who strive to improve the welfare of children and their families!
Wednesday, May 24
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Central Michigan Youth for Christ - Alma
Please call the Child Advocacy office at (989) 463-1422 to purchase tickets in advance.
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March is Parenting Awareness Month
By: Pam Mahin
Office Manager
"Got a minute? Give it to your kid." What an awesome saying! Another one you may have heard is, "Parents: the anti drug." Studies continue to show that kids who spend time with their parents are less likely to use tobacco, drugs, and alcohol, and fare better emotionally.
Children who receive high levels of love and support from families at home, and out in community activities, are well on their way to becoming healthy, confident, and productive adults.
Everyday life is demanding and busy, but time invested in our children is time well spent: so this month, write family time right into your calendar. Ask your teen's advice on what you should wear to that school sporting event. Sit down to a meal together as often as possible, and thank your child when he or she does or says something nice or helpful. You might even want to make that thank-you more meaningful by putting it in writing and sending a thank you note.
You might also consider attending a parenting class to learn new skills or brush up on the ones you already have. For more information on classes offered through Child Advocacy, please call 989-463-1422.
You ARE important in the life of your child . . . and by the way, you're doing a good job!
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Princess & Pirates Party
Thank you Youth for Christ, Sara Bonacci Photography, Miller Auto, Kiwanis Club, Michael Richard Flowers, Reynolds Family Clowning, all of our volunteers, DuHadway Dance Dimensions (Rob, Jillian, Dance Mom's, and Elite Team Dancer's), Department of Health and Human Services, Gratiot Integrated Health Network, MAC TV, and our amazing hair stylists Samantha Allen (Fringe 101), Hailee Chubb (Headliners), Marie Lux (Fringe 101), and Dawn Luckey (Le Zebra).
We would also like to thank the staff at Child Advocacy and everyone who bought tickets and supported our fundraiser!!!
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How We Teach Our Children
NOT to Trust Their Gut
By: Richelle Davis
Prevention Educator
In Protect Yourself, we teach the children how to RECOGNIZE that gut feeling and to LISTEN to it when it is going off. But sometimes, we as parents are teaching our children just the opposite and are instructing our children not to listen to it at all times.
How often do we force our children to hug or kiss someone? "Go give your Aunt a kiss." How often do we send the message that they are being rude if they don't want to give someone a hug and we force them to do it anyway, against their will? Instead we should respect our children's desire to not hug and kiss people and should treat them how to politely decline. Children have amazing intuition and we should teach them to trust their gut and not force them to have physical contact with anyone they do not want to.
We teach them to listen to all adults, no matter what. Of course we want to teach our children to be respectful to adults, but we also must let them know when they do NOT have to listen to them. Plenty of children in abuse situations listened to a grown up tell them to go into a room alone, play body games, keep their games a secret. Instead, we need to teach them to listen to adults UNLESS someone tries to hurt them, touch their private parts, or keep a body secret. Then they do not have to listen, even if that person is an adult. Even if that person is an adult they know.
Our gut instinct is a primal skill that keeps us alive. Foster this skill in your children. Teach them to listen and trust their gut feeling.
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Scheduled Classes
Foster/Adoptive/Relative Care Support Group
Tuesday, March 14
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
New Location: East Superior Christian Church - Alma
Please call our office at (989) 463-1422 to register for the class.
Gratiot County Substance Abuse Coalition Meeting
Monday, March 13
1:00 p.m.
Youth for Christ
2550 W. Cheesman Rd.
Alma, MI 48801
Please call Sara at 989-463-1422 with any questions.
Nurturing Parenting Program
For Parents and Their School Age Children(5-11 years old)
January 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Dinner will be provided
First United Methodist Church
116 S. Franklin St.
St. Louis, MI 48880
Free Training presented by Child Advocacy and Gratiot County Substance Abuse Coalition
10-Session Group-Based Program for Both Parents and Children that Teaches:
- How to increase empathy
- Nurturing ways to encourage appropriate behaviors
- Building Self-esteem and self-concept
- How to have fun as a family
Contact Morgan Rooy at Child Advocacy to Register
(989)463-1422.
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Happy Spring....almost!
As you can see we are very busy here at Child Advocacy. We have several events, fundraisers, and classes coming up in the coming months. We hope you will join us at one or more of our events.
I was talking with a gentleman last week and he was surprised to hear about all that we do here at Child Advocacy, so I thought I would share some basic information about the agency. Child Advocacy is a private non-profit that serves as an umbrella for several programs in the county. These programs include; Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention, The Children's Advocacy Center, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and Substance and Suicide Prevention. Our agency is unique in that we are the only agency in the State of MI with all of these programs under one umbrella. How neat is it that in Alma, Michigan we serve thousands of children and their families with all of our services? Our programs include; car seat safety, an educational lending library, self protection/body safety classes for elementary students, vendor education for businesses who sell tobacco and alcohol, suicide prevention training's, parenting classes, foster parent support group, forensic interviewing of victims of child abuse, victim and family advocacy, and so much more!
We would love to tell you more about what we do. If you belong to a group, church, social club, or organization that would like to hear more about our services please call us for a presentation. We would also love to give you a tour of our agency and introduce you to our staff. Please call us anytime for more information 989-463-1422.
Sincerely,
Audra Stahl
Executive Director
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