Light of Hope Ceremony

CASA of Hancock County took the time to address two issues they feel are far too common within the community: child abuse and neglect. News 25’s Kendra Turley takes us inside tonight’s educational ceremony in Waveland.
Earlier this month, a toddler in Hancock County tragically passed away as a result of abuse. CASA of Hancock County Executive Director Cynthia Chauvin said, “And I think that hits home for many reasons, to parents, to families, and to people who wish that there were something that they can do.”
CASA of Hancock County hoped to shed light on this serious social problem during its annual Light of Hope Ceremony on Veterans Memorial Beach in Waveland. “I think part of tonight’s event is to educate the community on the most important role we all play in protecting kids, which is to report child abuse if you suspect it,” said Chauvin.
The purpose of the event is to educate and inform the public on ways to help prevent child abuse and neglect from occurring in the community. Attendee Kathy Higgins said, “These children have no voices of their own and if you see it happening, you need to report it. I don’t care how embarrassed you are. You may think you’re not sure of it but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
During the ceremony, three individuals were presented with awards for their contribution to helping keep kids in Hancock County safe and out of harm’s way. Award recipient Thomas Genin said, “You see these young children and they’re purely products of their environment so when these kids are in bad environments where they might not get any attention whatsoever, that’s just not good for anybody.”
Butterflies were also released one by one in honor of community members who have recently passed away and for the hundreds of children that remain in county foster care.
Margaret Bans and Tyra Meighen were also award recipients at tonight’s ceremony. “It’s very important for our community to be aware that it’s a group job with foster parents, CASA advocates, DHS workers and everybody to come together for the safety of our children and families,” said Bans.

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