After opening its doors nearly four years ago, the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre has helped over 1,750 children in 87 communities find the courage to deal with difficult, unthinkable circumstances. Finding the courage to come forward when suffering from abuse is difficult in the extreme for children—especially when it’s a person they trust and depend on most, like a family member. CACAC provides a safe place for kids to share their stories and supports them throughout the process of living a healthier, brighter future.
Giving hope for the future
Providing a safe place means more than just ending a cycle of abuse, it means education for prevention, and raising awareness of the cycle of abuse and supporting kids through the rest of the process. Giving kids a voice is about listening, understanding and helping kids find a healthier path for the future.
Nearly one in three Canadians have suffered some form of child abuse, and the sad fact is that much of this occurs in the home. Over the course of the pandemic, abuse statistics rose—this is something that we need to be willing to talk about—in our communities and in our homes. Alyssa Barthel, Director of Community Development at the CACAC, notes that “throughout the pandemic, we have been able to do really amazing things through the community—even during the shutdown, people were still donating and supporting this important work.”
The CACAC depends on community support to keep its amazing youth advocacy programs going, and notes Alyssa, “our children represent the future, and making sure kids have the best possible start in life means building stronger communities now—it’s those donations from the communities that keep us going and building!”
Buy earlier, win more!
Now is a great time to get involved. There are many ways to support Central Alberta’s kids, but one of the easiest is the Child Advocacy Centre’s popular 50/50 Cash Lottery—and this year’s is better than ever! Four Weekly Early Bird prizes of $1000 each are up for grabs! Ealy Bird deadlines are Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23 (winners announced the following days).
By purchasing a chance (or two!) to win, you’re supporting this important, local, non-profit organization that works with children to give them a voice, and which helps break the cycle of abuse.
Tickets are a great addition to your stocking stuffers and are easy to buy! Buy 1 for $10:, 10 for $25, 25 for $50, and 50 for $75 but don’t wait too long—tickets are limited and the deadline for the Grand Prize purchase is Feb. 2, 2022.
Purchase online at www.cacac5050.ca and tickets will be emailed directly to you!
More volunteers who want to make a difference in the lives of local kids are always needed! Email info@centralalbertacac.ca, or learn more at cetralalbertacaca.ca, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.