Dickey’s Barbeque will host “Rib Raisers” a fundraiser for CASA of Central Louisiana, Monday January 18th from 5-9 p.m. A portion of all sales will be donated to CASA, which serves abused and neglected children in Natchitoches, Red River and Sabine Parishes.
“We are always looking out for ways to be involved in the community and this is a great opportunity,” said General Manager Ginny Waskom. “One of the benefits is to expose guests who haven’t experienced our food before. We are proud to be partnering with CASA because they are a great organization of volunteers who provide much needed services to youths in our area. We are thrilled to be able to help.”
“We really appreciate Ginny for offering this,” said CASA Executive Director Jack Duty.“Our soul mission is to be the voice of abused and neglected children.”
CASA stands for court appointed special advisers. National Statistics show that judges take CASA representatives’ recommendations 4 out of 5 times. CASA is primarily funded by grants that dictate how awarded money can be spent. Fundraisers provide CASA with unrestricted funds that can be used to help meet children’s needs.
“We had a child that was an A and B student. When he moved schools, suddenly he was making C’s and D’s,” said Duty. “We asked him why his grades fell. He told us that he sits in the back of the class at his new school and he was used to siting in the front. He couldn’t see. He needed glasses. It may have taken the state 90-180 days to get him glasses. We got them to him in 10 days and his grades went back up.”
When these types of circumstances arise, the Executive Director can make the decision to use unrestricted funds. When unrestricted funds are low, CASA volunteers may pay out of pocket.
“There was a girl who was about to age out of our program. We talked to her about what she would need to make the transition and she mentioned a driver’s license,” said Duty. “When I was in school, a driver’s course cost about $10. Nowadays, this mandatory class costs $350. She needed it to get to school and work. The grant wouldn’t pay for it so her representative and I pitched in. We talked to the instructor and he was able to give a discount. We try to fill the gap when we can.”
Mark your calendars for CASA’s Annual Social on April 29th at the Knights of Columbus Hall. Tickets are $40 a person. The event will include a catered dinner and music provided by Steve Wells. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Jim Henderson, President of Northwestern State University. For information on Rib Raisers or the Social, contact CASA of Central Louisiana at 318-238-2446.