8
community
august23
2011
Local Program Awarded $41,000 National CASA Grant
CASA for Kids, Inc. has
been selected to receive a $41,000
National CASA Association new
program development grant, according
to Tom Dunn, chief financial officer
of the NCASAA. Confirmation of the
award came in a recent letter from the
national leader.
Kathryn
Bourn,
executive
director of the local CASA program, is
excited about the grant award. “This grant
will provide us with financial stability to
grow the CASA program in Columbia
County,” she said.
CASA for Kids
provides volunteer Court Appointed
Special Advocates (CASAs), who give a
voice to abused and neglected children
in foster care. Last year, 182 children
in Columbia County spent at least one
night in foster care. CASA for Kids was
able to provide an advocate for only 1 in
5, however.
The grant funds will help CASA
for Kids train and supervise new CASA
advocates. “Our goal is to serve all
foster children entitled to a CASA by
the end of 2014,” Bourn said. To achieve
that goal, CASA for Kids will need an
additional 60 CASAs. “We added eight
new CASAs this spring, and plan to
train 12 more CASAs this fall,” she said.
“We plan to train 20 CASAs a year until
every foster child in Columbia County
has a CASA.”
CASA for Kids is recruiting
prospective volunteers for its upcoming
October new CASA class.
Having a CASA is an evidence-
based best practice for serving abused
and neglected children in the foster-care
system, Bourn said. When children in
the foster-care system have a CASA
advocate, studies show that:
• The children receive more services to
address their educational, psychological
and medical needs, and their parents
receive more services to address the
reasons the children were removed from
the family home.
• Children who are able to return home to
their parents experience more stability—
rather than bouncing in and out of foster
care.
• Children who are not able to be reunited
with their parents are more likely to be
adopted than to remain in long-term
foster care.
CASA for Kids, Inc. was one of
six CASA programs across the country
to receive a new program development
grant, according to Coral Edward,
NCASAA grants program manager.
Overall, National CASA awarded $7.3
million to 224 programs in various
grant categories. Grant funds came to
National CASA through the federal
Department of Justice. According to
Dunn’s announcement, the grant period
Tooth Talk: Sip All Day, Get Decay
By Dr. Christopher Scheauerman
With its sweet,
bubbly,
refreshing
taste, soda pop has
been a favorite drink
for many. Between
the caffeine acting
as a diuretic and the sugar interfering
with the body’s absorption of fluids, it
makes us even thirstier. Couple that with
the pick me up effects of caffeine, it is
almost addicting. What was once touted
as pharmaceutical remedies for various
ailments is now causing health problems
among old and young alike.
A Short History of Soda Pop
In 1809, the imitation mineral
water was born. The combination
of sodium bicarbonate and acid
produced the effervescence that adds
to soda’s refreshing taste. In hopes of
finding remedies for various ailments,
pharmacists across American and
Europe experimented with different
ingredients. Different flavors such as
root beer, sarsaparilla, ginger ale, lemon,
and other fruit flavors were constantly
appearing on the market.
In the 1880’s, manufactures
began experimenting with adding
stimulants; cola nuts and coca leaves
where the most commonly used.
Bolivian workers chewed on coca
leaves to ward off fatigue, while West
African workers chewed on cola nuts as
a stimulant.
In 1886, the Coca Cola tonic
was created. Containing coca nuts, it
was originally marketed as a headache
reliever and brain tonic. Since cocaine is
derivative of coca leaves, it also had a
small amount of cocaine in it. Although
it is unknown how much cocaine was in
coca cola, between the coca leaves and
sugar, it became a popular drink.
Shortly after the invention of
Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola was invented
in 1893. Unlike Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola
contained cola nuts. Pepsi was advertised
as being a remedy for stomach ailments
because of the cola nuts and pepsin, a
digestive enzyme.
Soft drinks are no longer an
occasional treat. They’ve become
a daily habit for a growing number
of people, especially kids, teens and
young adults. You may be surprised to
learn that, on average, every American
consumes 56 gallons of soda pop a year.
The health consequences of excessive
soda consumption are becoming more
and more apparent to dentists. Why?
Because the sugar and acid in soda can
cause tooth decay, even in patients who
have had good dental check-ups in the
past.
Enamel is the hardest substance
in the body, and it protects the crowns
of the teeth. Sugar in Soda combines
with bacteria on your mouth to form acid
attacking your enamel. Diet or “sugar-
free” pop contains its own acid so it is
no better that regular soda. Acid in soft
for the award is the 2011-12 fiscal
year.
While grant recipients will have
an opportunity to apply for additional
funding next year, Bourn noted that
Congress has proposed cutting federal
funding for CASA back to 1995 levels
and further National CASA grants are
not guaranteed. “It’s important that we
use this opportunity to build a resource
base of community giving,” Bourn said.
The local CASA program is a 501(c)
(3) non-profit supported by the Oregon
Commission on Children and Families,
the Northwest Educational Service
District, the cities of St. Helens and
Scappoose, foundations, and individual
and corporate donors.
For additional
information
regarding
CASA’s
upcoming events, or to become a CASA,
contact Bourn at 503-366-4133 or email
info@casaforkidsinc.org.
drinks, whether they contain sugar or
not, weakens your tooth enamel, thus
allowing the acid to attack your teeth.
Each acid attack lasts about 20 minutes,
and starts over again every time you take
a sip of soda. When your tooth enamel is
damaged from repeated acid attacks, the
bacteria in your mouth causes cavities.
More cavities mean more trips to your
dentist, more drilling and more fillings.
According to the American
Dental Association between 56 percent
and 85 percent of school-age children
consume at least one serving of soda
pop each day. Often the amount of
soda pop consumed daily is much
larger. At least 20 percent of school-
age children consume a minimum of
four soda pop servings every day. A
significant association of cola beverage
consumption and increased risk of bone
fractures has been recently reported
among teenage girls, and among female
former athletes.
The consumption of soft drinks,
including carbonated beverages, fruit
juice, sport drinks, and energy drinks
in the United States has increased by
500% over the past 50 years; this trend
shows no indication of leveling off.
From 1945-95 to 2005-06, the average
daily consumption increased from 195
ml to 275 ml in the general population
and from 345 ml to 570 ml among
adolescent boys. With the average
consumer drinking 56 gallons of soda
pop a year the amount has surpassed all
other beverages, including milk, beer,
coffee and water. The U.S. market
includes nearly 450 different soft drinks,
with the total retail sale over $60 billion
annually.
If you buy four 20-ounce bottles
of soda from a gas station or a soda
machine each work day, that’s about $5 a
day. That doesn’t sound like much until
you add it up.
At today’s soda prices: In 15
years you will have spent $13,500. In
25 years you’ll have $22,500, and in 50
years you’ll have $45,000.
If you sip all day you’ll get
decay, try a glass of water or milk today
and who knows maybe you’ll save
enough to take an adventurous getaway.
Dr. Chris
