Robin Boozer, president of the Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA), announces the organization’s 2012 Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 19, at 6:30 p.m. in the Hargray Building (room 156) of the USC Beaufort Hilton Head Gateway Campus in Bluffton. The meeting will include elections for board of directors and officers, recognition of volunteers and staff, an update on the state of child abuse and the release of the 2011 Annual Report. The agency will showcase its programs prior to the meeting.

CAPA, a United Way agency accredited by the Council on Accreditation, has provided child abuse prevention and intervention programs to the Beaufort community for more than 30 years. CAPA’s mission is to break the destructive cycle of child abuse and neglect by equipping parents, children and their caregivers with necessary skills, knowledge and values. CAPA’s outreach programs include school-based safety and character development programs for children, teen pregnancy prevention programs, parent education and support groups, and mandated reporter training for community members. CAPA’s Open Arms Shelter for Abused and Neglected Children has cared for over 2,000 child residents since opening its doors in 1985. The shelter serves children from Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, Colleton and Allendale counties. CAPA’s Closet thrift shop is a valuable resource to the community and accepts tax-deductible donations of furniture, clothing, appliances, books and more. CAPA envisions a community in which every child is free from maltreatment, safely nurtured in a loving family; a state in which every community is committed to the safety and well-being of children; and a community where this commitment is demonstrated in policies and actions that place the needs of children first.

The public is encouraged to attend.  For more information, please call the CAPA Outreach Office at 843.524.4350 or email capa714@earthlink.net. Visit www.capabeaufort.org to learn more.
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