(Cushing, Okla.) — Payne County Leadership Connections class got underway April 8 (2015) starting with lunch at the United Way Office (Stillwater).
Following lunch, Sheri Carter, the Director at the Stillwater United Way, talked with the class about what the Stillwater United Way does (United Way focuses on building blocks of education, income and health to enhance the community).Stephanie Fry with Big Brother Big Sisters spoke on what it takes to be a “Big” and the need for Big Brothers/Big Sisters in the program. Nicole James, with the Saville Center, followed Fry with information about the services the Saville Center provides (a warm and caring home environment for child victims of abuse and children of all ages, as well as specially trained forensic interviewers for the children to talk with). Then, Jennifer Smith, a case worker with CASA, spoke about what a Court Appointed Special Advocate’s duty is (which is to gather information to better help the court understand a child’s situation). A CASA volunteer is the eyes and ears for the court. Finishing up on this segment of the class was Kayla Colon with Wings of Hope, an agency committed to stopping interpersonal violence, and that is dedicated to helping families end the cycle of violence.
The grand finale for the class was a visit to the Sheerar Museum of Stillwater History (featuring Stillwater, Payne County and OSU). Admission is free to the Museum which is open Tuesday – Friday 11(am) to 5 (pm), Saturdays and Sundays 1 (pm) to 4 (pm), and they are closed Mondays and Holidays.
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