Calhoun County, AL – This week, the community came together to celebrate the grand opening of CASA of the Cheaha Region‘s new office and resource center, marking a significant milestone for the organization that supports hundreds of children who are victims of abuse and neglect. The ribbon-cutting ceremony honored the generosity of donors and the resilience of the organization, which faced significant challenges in securing a permanent home.
In 2022, CASA faced an uncertain future, struggling to find a new location to continue its work, but everything changed when Jeff Cote stepped in and made a call that would alter the course of the program’s future. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, was inspired by Cote’s vision of protecting local children and committed to purchasing an office building on Tenth Street in Anniston.
Thanks to this monumental gift, the Church enabled CASA of the Cheaha Region to acquire a new office space. However, the purchase came with the requirement of securing a substantial community partner who could help bring the building up to code and make it fully operational. At this critical juncture, Rachel and Daniel Dietrich connected Executive Director Laura Miller with Bill and Jeanie McAdams, whose commitment to the cause would prove transformative.
“We talked about everything we needed and everything that was at stake,” Miller said, reflecting on her emotional conversation with Bill McAdams. “By the end of the call, it was hard to tell which one of us was crying. Bill and Jeanie committed to helping the children and our mission, sight unseen. They started the work that would ultimately rock our entire foundation—literally.”
The dedication and persistence of both the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the McAdams family resulted in a space that the entire community can be proud of. At today’s ceremony, the CASA Closet was officially renamed the “Bill and Jeanie McAdams Resource Center” in honor of their contributions.
Congressman Mike Rogers was in attendance and presented a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol to CASA, a gesture of recognition for the organization’s vital work in Calhoun County. “I am proud to attend and present a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in honor of the ribbon cutting for CASA,” Rogers stated to the Calhoun Journal.
Executive Director Laura Miller took a moment to reflect on CASA’s journey. When Miller first started with CASA in 2017, the organization was operating out of a small, donated space within a church. At that time, CASA was serving around 25 children. “It wasn’t many, but it was enough,” she said.
By 2018, CASA had moved into a rented office in Oxford and began to grow, thanks to the support of local judges like Judge Lacher and Judge Wright. But growth also brought challenges. As the organization expanded, they eventually outgrew their space and were hit with funding cuts in 2022, threatening the future of their operations.
“We had a bare-bones budget because we wanted every dollar to go to the children,” Miller explained. “I thought the only way to save money was to give up our office space and work from home, but then I got a call from Jeff Cote, who changed everything.”
With the help of the Church and the McAdams family, along with numerous other donors and businesses, the dream of a new office became a reality. Among the many contributors were Brown Roofing Company, John Hearn Plumbing, Weaver Lawn, Webb Concrete, Alabama Power Service Organization, Keller Williams, Calhoun County Rotary Club, Turf Wars, Brayden Ference, and Preston Plumbing, all of whom donated time, materials, and labor to the project.
Miller emphasized the collective effort that made this achievement possible. “There is no corner of our beautiful office that a donor has not touched,” she said, expressing her deep gratitude for the outpouring of community support.
The ribbon cutting represents more than just the opening of a new office. It is a testament to the power of community, the importance of protecting children, and the unwavering dedication of those who believe in CASA’s mission.
“Thank you for choosing CASA,” Miller said in closing. “Thank you for choosing love. Thank you for choosing children.”
As CASA begins this new chapter, the organization remains committed to its mission of serving vulnerable children, bolstered by the knowledge that they have a strong and supportive village standing with them in the fight against child abuse.
