ARDMORE, Okla. -- It's an organization in southern Oklahoma that every family hopes they never need, but since the early 1990s, the C/Sara Foundation has been there when tragedy strikes. Robin Beal takes a closer look at a home grown non-profit group that is helping communities every day.
The C/Sara Foundation was founded years ago as a support group for families and students after a tragic accident claimed the life of a local girl. Over the years C/Sara has grown from basic crisis counseling to teaching suicide intervention, even becoming the local experts on dealing with child sexual abuse cases.
They are now in the early stages of implementing an adult program as well. Sissy Burge is the foundation's executive director, and says they work with agencies from all over Carter, Love, Johnston, Murray, and Marshall Counties. The goal is to help anyway they can, when some of our youngest neighbors become victims.
"All of the agencies come to our facility so that’s law enforcement, DHS, district attorney's office, mental heath, and medical providers come there, so the child is only interviewed once by our trained forensic interviewer," Burge says.
A Las Vegas-themed fundraiser is set for Saturday night at the convention center in Ardmore. You have to be 21 to get in, and there is a charge at the door.