SIDNEY -- On August 15, staff from the ALLO Fiber office in Sidney awarded internet service to two non-profit organizations in Sidney.

In a written statement, the ALLO organization said its employees work, live and volunteer in their communities, and understand it takes a village, which is why ALLO gives back. The intent, according to a statement from ALLO, is so the agencies can focus on "what matters most." Recipients of the internet service are PlainsWest CASA and The DOVES Program.
 
 The Doves:  The DOVES Program was founded in 1979 to provide support to victims of domestic violence in Scotts Bluff County. Since that time, our program has grown to assist victims of dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking as well. Today, the DOVES Program currently serves nine counties in Nebraska’s Panhandle: Scotts Bluff, Cheyenne, Morrill, Kimball, Banner, Box Butte, Dawes, Sheridan, & Sioux Counties.
 
The DOVES staff provides 24-hour assistance, offers immediate, ongoing, and long-term support, and connects individuals to other community resources. In doing so, staff help clients overcome crises and empower them to be the change they want to see in their lives. The DOVES Program is an independent non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. The DOVES is part of a network of community-based domestic violence and sexual assault programs providing services across Nebraska. The DOVES' mission is to ensure our empowerment-based and strengths-centered services are available and accessible to anyone who has experienced or been affected by sexual, domestic, or dating violence.

 

PlainsWest CASA: In 1977, a Seattle juvenile court judge concerned about making drastic decisions with insufficient information conceived the idea of citizen volunteers speaking up for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom. From that first program has grown a network of more than 955 CASA and guardian ad litem programs that are recruiting, training and supporting volunteers in 49 states.

CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in inappropriate group or foster homes. For children who’ve been abused or neglected, CASA means having a home instead of feeling lost, and being a priority instead of feeling invisible.

CASA volunteers are everyday citizens who care about children and want to make a difference in the life of a child. CASA volunteers you are  trained and supported by professional staff to help them through each case. Judges appoint CASA volunteers to represent the best interests of children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. Volunteers stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. For many abused children, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence in their lives.

According to National CASA, children with CASA volunteers are more likely to receive therapy, health care and education and do better in school, and less likely to be bounced from one place to another or get stuck in long-term foster care.