CASA of Southeast Mississippi holds Light of Hope Ceremony

The community gathered at the Round Island Lighthouse in Pascagoula for CASA of Southeast Mississippi’s first Light of Hope ceremony.

CASA placed pinwheels, the national symbol for child abuse prevention, around the area.

The Round Island Lighthouse will also illuminate blue at night since April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

CASA is an organization that promotes court appointed advocates for abused or neglected children. Their volunteers complete a special training program so they can best represent each child.

CASA of Southeast Mississippi was once CASA of Jackson County, but they expanded to George and Green counties.

Serving a larger area means they need help now more than ever before. Board member Brandon Riches said, “You really just have a love for helping children, there’s no huge qualifications. You just need a little bit of time. Once you start to see the children in the system, you want to help them in every way you can. There are more children in the system than there are volunteers currently.”

Walking around the lighthouse, you’ll see black ribbons tied around trees. There are 81, each representing a child who died from some form of abuse or neglect.

CASA’s mission is to ensure that every abused and neglected child is in a safe and loving home. To learn more, visit CASA of Southeast Mississippi’s website or Facebook page.