Welcome to another edition of CASA Up Close Monthly. Please feel free to contact CASA for more information about anything you read. And, as always, thank you for your continued support! Use these quick links to get involved.
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- Welcome New CASA Volunteers
- Information Sessions - by Zoom!
- Training Dates - by Zoom!
- CASA Golf Classic
- Training & Support Center Update
- Shop for CASA
- CARS for CASA
- Events Benefiting CASA
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Letter from the Executive Director
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The CASA network is making strides towards providing every child in foster care with a CASA volunteer to advocate for their well-being. Last year, 58 percent of children in Texas foster care had a CASA volunteer, and we know that with the implications of COVID-19, CASA advocacy is needed now more than ever.
We all know that personal referrals are a great way to recruit volunteers and spread awareness. In that spirit, our partners at Texas CASA have created BE A VOICE FOR CASA.
BE A VOICE FOR CASA, through Social Toaster, provides inspiring social media posts that can easily be shared directly to a person’s social media profile – with only a quick click of a button. This online platform is open to everyone within the CASA community. The more people who sign up and share, the more awareness we spread about CASA and the need for volunteers.
Additionally, by signing up to BE A VOICE FOR CASA, sharing posts and generating traffic, users will earn points and chances to win gift cards up to $500 over the next three months! We encourage programs to share the information below with their network and help us spread the word.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
- it's easy and fun!
- Sign up for the Social Toaster platform. You earn 100 points just for signing up! See the video below for an overview.
- Share and like the available posts on your various social media platforms. The more you share and get likes and retweets, the more points you earn, giving you a better chance at winning. We’ll add posts regularly in the platform so you have fresh content to share. Be sure to sign up for email notifications so you know when new posts are available.
- Refer your friends to sign up for an even greater chance to win!
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If you have ever wanted to help bring more volunteers to CASA, here is a great way. I hope you will participate and help us reach the goal of providing a CASA volunteer to every child in care.
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Norma Castilla-Blackwell
Executive Director
CASA of Central Texas
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Welcome New CASA Volunteers
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We welcomed 9 new CASA Volunteers in June!
Thank you to these wonderful community members who completed an intensive 42-hour training and stepped up to be a voice for children in the court system.
CASA is now enrolling for our next cycle of training courses. See dates below.
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Sworn in via Zoom on June 23.
Please welcome
Mary Benning
of Comal County,
Amber Blocker
of Hays County,
Charles Rosenbaum
of Hays County,
Emily Morrow
of Comal County,
James Morris
of Comal County,
Laura Hughes
of Comal County,
Carolyn Adelsen
of Guadalupe County,
Lawana Hixon
of Hays County, and
Diane Cromwell
of Bexar County.
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"Voices" Information Sessions Online
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Want to learn more about the
role of a CASA Volunteer?
Join our 30-minute information session and hear how our volunteers advocate for children who have been abused and neglected.
Just pick a time that works for you and use the links below to join us on Zoom!
If these times don't work for you,
contact Eloise Hudson
and she can do a 1-1 with you at your convenience!
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Meeting times:
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
9 a.m.
Host: Joyce
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
5 p.m.
Host: Nick
Tuesdays and Thursdays
10 a.m.
Host: Eloise
Saturdays
10 a.m.
Host: Rotating
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Upcoming Training Sessions
Wednesdays
August 5 - September 2
1 - 4 p.m.
Held online and with Zoom
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Application deadline prior to each cycle is two weeks before start of training. Submit your volunteer application
here
.
For more information on training courses, contact Brandi Raschke at
512-392-3578, 830-626-2272, or by
email.
One-hour pre-training interview to occur at least one week before start of each training cycle. Mandatory 10-hour online class to be completed during the training cycle.
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Register for the 4
th
Annual Corridor Title – CASA Classic Golf Tournament today and you’ll provide a hole lott
a
hope
t
o a CASA child! We have an exiting new range of sponsor and underwriter opportunities available this year. Learn more by clicking
here
!
Players are guaranteed to have a swinging good time, with Kissing Tree Golf Club graciously serving as the venue host again in 2020! Save the date, Monday, October 26, 2020, to tee off and transform the lives of children in state and foster care. Don’t hesitate - sign up soon to avoid the waiting list!
Player Opportunities
Team of 4- $800
Sponsorships:
Ace - $10,000 (3 teams plus benefits)
19th Hole - $7,500 (2 teams plus benefits)
Front Nine – SOLD OUT
Back Nine - $5,000 (2 teams plus benefits)
Eagle - $2,500 (1 team plus benefits)
Birdie - $1,750 (1 team plus benefits)
Underwriting:
Dinner - $2,500
Lunch - $2,500
Driving Range - $2,500
Media - $2,500
Printing - SOLD OUT
Golf Gift - $2,000
Golf Pro - $1,500
Helicopter Ball Drop - $1,000
Hole in One - $1,000
Golf Cart - $1,000
Golf Ball Launcher - $1,000
Beverage Cart - $1,000
Refreshments - $750
Breakfast - $750
Entertainment - $750
Hole Underwriter- $500
Learn more & register
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Help CASA with Your Review
If you love our work then tell the world!
Stories from people like you will help us make an even bigger impact in our community. GreatNonprofits – the #1 source of nonprofit stories and feedback – is honoring highly regarded nonprofits with their 2020 Top-Rated List. Won’t you help us raise visibility for our work by posting a brief story of your experience with us? All content will be visible to potential donors and volunteers.
It’s easy and only takes 3 minutes!
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Training and Support Center Update
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We are so close to moving in! Furniture has been delivered and boxes are being packed at our old location! Move-in is scheduled July 15-17.
Join CASA's Capital Campaign by online donation
here
. Every dollar is needed and appreciated!
See more pictures of construction progress
here.
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Thank you to our project partners
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Calling all Superheroes!
Calling all Superheroes! CASA of Central Texas is teaming up with the Travis and Williamson CASA programs and your help is needed! Children and youth are in danger of slipping through the cracks of an overburdened foster care system. You are called to activate your superpowers so that every child can be provided with the voice of an advocate.
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Coming in September
Join this year's
virtual event activities
here
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Still doing most of your shopping online?
AmazonSmile
is a simple and automatic way for you to support CASA of Central Texas every time you shop, at no cost to you.
When you shop at
smile.amazon.com
, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization.
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Just go to
www.smile.amazon.com
, log on to your existing Amazon account, type CASA of Central Texas in the search box, select us and start shopping! CASA will receive .5% of all eligible purchases when you buy from Amazon!
To date, CASA of Central Texas has received almost $650, from your shopping!
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Events Benefiting CASA
CASA of Central Texas welcomes community initiatives to help promote awareness and funding for our program. By taking on this type of project, event organizers assume the responsibility of creating a successful event without a significant level of assistance from CASA. All special events and fundraising efforts conducted to benefit CASA are run by financially responsible and reputable organizations and individuals motivated by a genuine desire to help CASA. If you are interested in hosting a third-party fundraiser to benefit CASA, please review these
guidelines
.
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