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SUNNY Temp: 68 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, August 21, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 30, 2003 CASA sets up temporary home By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune By now, organizers of CASA, a program that helps abused children in court, had hoped to have a permanent home. Seven months after breaking away from Jackson County to become a private nonprofit agency, officials for the Court Appointed Special Advocates believed they’d have enough money to buy a building. The good news is, the money materialized, at least some of it. The bad news is, the building didn’t. Or at least it didn’t quickly enough to meet a June 30 deadline for leaving subsidized quarters at the county District Attorney’s office. Today, CASA will set up shop at 10 S. Grape St., in the Park Place building in downtown Medford. Advertisement "We have looked very seriously for a place to purchase," said CASA Director Mary-Curtis Gramley. "This is a real temporary home for us." Trouble is, there are too few available and affordable properties near the county courthouse, where nearly all of CASA activities are conducted. For the 74 volunteers and the more than 300 children who need their services each year, location is everything, Gramley said. With a permanent, convenient place, the agency could focus less on logistics and more on finding volunteers to pair with the 175 children on the CASA waiting list. "This is such a simple and such an important program," Gramley said. CASA volunteers typically spend about 11 hours a month for two years helping individual children as they wend their way through the complicated justice system, Gramley said. "We strive for consistency and longevity in the relationship," she added. Organizers of the local agency, CASA of Jackson County Inc., decided to become a private nonprofit a year ago after funding cuts decreased financial support for the program. After all, of the 32 CASA programs in Oregon, 27 are run by private nonprofits. The local group figured it would be more appealing to foundations and other grant-making entities as a nonprofit. And it has been, said Gramley, citing a recent $45,000 grant from the Oregon Community Foundation. Other smaller grants, from the city of Ashland, the city of Medford, the Gordon Ellwood Foundation, have helped as well. Those funds have helped the agency meet its anticipated first year budget of about $138,000. But CASA must build its capacity, especially now, when other state and local services to children and families have been drastically cut. "The resources that keep children out the system have eroded," Gramley said. What the agency needs now is a building to buy under attractive terms and new volunteers to help children. One of the grants Gramley was awarded calls for 45 new CASAs in the next year. "That is a lofty goal for us," she said. The next CASA training session is set for July 22. Interested volunteers — or anyone with a building for sale — should call 734-CASA for information. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times