Power of One (Part VIII)

Power of One-Volunteer

September 2010

I've written a little about this subject before but I thought I needed to brag on my wife a little more. I promised her it would be the last time.

We became empty nesters three years ago and Suzie was going nuts. I told her to go join one of the many causes Champion has supported over the years. We have over 100 non-profit's as customers. Giving back is a major part of our culture. Mom always said, "Do business with people who give back to the community. They're honest, they're loyal and they will pay you." She also taught us to volunteer at events that our customers held. Very rarely is there a weekend that someone from my family and/or Champion is not at an event or a cause in the mid-south.

Back to Suzie, Suzie listens to her own drum. She had to go out and find a new cause. (There are no bad causes where the majority of funds help people get a leg up in life.)

She became a CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocate for Abused and Neglected Children. In Shelby County alone, there are over 3,600 reported cases of child abuse or neglect that go before Juvenile Court. Also, there are an estimated 30,000 acts of child abuse or neglect that go unreported in our area. The Tennessee Department of Human Services represents these cases in Juvenile Court. Each case worker may have over 20 cases at a time to handle. The backlog is horrendous.

Having a CASA volunteer means having a trained and committed adult who is appointed by a judge or referee to watch over and advocate for that child's best interests. A CASA volunteer ensures that a child does not get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in an inappropriate group or foster home. A CASA volunteer will be there for that child until the court case is closed. CASA can make the difference between homelessness and safety, dropping out and graduation, unemployment and success, and jail and productivity. Suzie told me one night, "As I was walking out of court today after the hearing of my CASA case, it occurred to me how scary the court is for the already abused and neglected children. You can just see the fear in their little faces. For them, having a CASA means they have someone they know in the courtroom. They have someone who has shared personal time with them. They know they can talk to me and receive a reassuring smile that is only there for them."

I don't think I could be a CASA, but my wife and 200 more brave volunteers handle almost 600 cases each year. If there were no CASA, abused and neglected children would have very little voice at all. What a horrible thought that children abused each day have nowhere to turn. The CASA budget is less than $350,000 a year in Shelby County.

Champion Awards & Apparel is celebrating our 40th Anniversary all year. We are going to honor our service and all of CASA's great work on October 15th. Champion, Tiger Gift Shop on Highland and Beale Street Gifts will be selling Memphis Basketball Tee's for only $5.00 with all proceeds going to CASA. We will celebrate you, our customer, with tours of the plant from 10am-4pm. We will have hamburgers and hotdogs. We will have door prizes and goody bags all day long. We will be showing our 2011 Apparel and Promotional Product lines. Come by our plant at 3649 Winplace Rd. near Mendenhall and Winchester on October 15th, the day of Memphis Madness. If you can't come by one of our locations then please keep abused and neglected children everywhere in your heart.

Directions to Champion

Pitch graphic
Now Here's the Pitch: Please come help raise a little money for abused and neglected children on October 15, 2010.