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.
|
|
- Welcome New CASA Volunteers
- A Hole Lotta Love for CASA
- Share Your CASA Experience
- Information Sessions
- Birdies for CASA
- Continuing Education
- Payroll Deductions for CASA
- Events Benefiting CASA
|
|
|
Letter from the Executive Director
|
Gathering with friends and family during the holidays is a tradition most of us take for granted. But for so many of the children served by CASA, the holidays provide a painful reminder that they are different from their peers - separated from parents, siblings, pets and close friends as they reside in foster care and other safe placements to shield them from further abuse and/or neglect.
While you and I decide where we will spend our holidays, these children and youth wait for safe, permanent homes. The holidays can be a lonely time.
Fortunately, this is often a time when many caring members of our community step forward to offer their help. It is this outpouring of concern and generosity that makes me particularly thankful during this holiday season. Just when our volunteers and staff are overwhelmed by the tragic reality of new abuse and neglect cases in Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe and Hays Counties, the phone rings or my email inbox reveals a caring individual or group ready to extend a helping hand.
|
|
This meaningful support is what makes our community special. Your financial donations to CASA, your in-kind contributions, your volunteer hours, and your creative and meaningful offers to share your time and resources truly make a difference.
With your help, we are making a difference one child at a time. As you gather with your loved ones this holiday season, please know that your generosity is truly appreciated, and your gifts are providing hope for the children served by our dedicated CASA volunteers. Your contributions exemplify the heart of giving, and we are thankful.
Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday season,
Norma Castilla-Blackwell
CASA of Central Texas Executive Director
|
|
For complete information on our Holiday Toy and Gift Drive
|
|
Welcome New CASA Volunteers
|
Ten new CASA Volunteers were sworn in this month. They have completed 5 weeks of training, background checks, courtroom observation and are now ready to advocate for a child in court.
Training sessions will begin again in January 2019. Watch for dates on our
calendar
and follow us on
Facebook
.
|
|
Judge Melissa McClenahan pictured left with new CASA volunteer
Marie Dennis
of Comal County, sworn in on October 10th.
|
|
Judge Charles Stephens (far left) pictured with CASA volunteers sworn in October 18th. Pictured l-r:
Jo Worthington
of Comal County,
Holly Davis
of Comal County,
Richard Weeks
of Comal County,
Gabriela Aguero
of Hays County,
Kelley Shrock
of Hays County,
Yvette Esquivel
of Guadalupe County,
Kathy Bowen
of Hays County, Board Member Seth Worley,
Cheyenne Jones
of Guadalupe County,
Christa Santa Maria
of Guadalupe County and Board Member Frank Pereira.
|
|
A "Hole Lotta Love" for CASA
|
Monday, October 29th, was a beautiful sunshiny day and was the perfect temperature for the annual CASA Classic Golf Tournament!
Golfers teed off under Blue skies at
River Crossing Golf Club in Spring Branch
. We had an awesome crew of volunteers and event staff led by
CASA Board Member Frank Pereira
and
Laura Dupont of the event presenter Corridor Title
.
Congratulations to the top winners!
1st Place
Gross:
Jeff Moeller, Cory Elrod, Shane Klar and Chris Owen (
Moeller & Associates Team
)
Net:
Massey Brand, Todd McGrew Daniel Ortega and Ralph Nanez
(Hack City Team
)
2nd Place
Gross
: Gil Hodges, Rick Payne, Scott Gregson and JR Nelson (
First Lockhart National Bank Team
)
Net
: David Swies, Eric Warford, Jeff Young and Philip Earnest (
2Wonder Team
)
3rd Place
Gross:
Jimmy Rabon, Tom Jordan, Tom Green and Dennis Leach (
CEMEX Team
)
Net:
J Boyd Vaughan, Jeremy Lightfoot and Joel Roemer (
Capital Farm Credit A Team
)
Closest to the Pin
Cole Ragsdale
Longest Drive
Ladies
: Paula White
Gentlemen:
Gil Hodges
Ball Launcher:
Bob Sudela
|
|
|
Thank You To Our Sponsors:
|
|
|
|
Hole Sponsors:
CASA Staff & Volunteers
Craftsman Photography
CoWork Factory
Davidek Law Firm, PLLC
Dexter Jones
Fuse Architecture Studio
Innovative Retirement, LLC
KW Heritage-Sheryl Gibson Team
LEAPFROG Promotions
Nissan
Saddler Concrete
Shell Real Estate Services
Taste of New Braunfels
Texias LLC
Utility Engineering Group
|
|
If you love our work, then tell the world! Stories about us 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 2018 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!
|
|
Deadline is October 31st!
80% of donors
say reviews influence their giving!
90% of donors
say reviews help them better understand a nonprofit's work!
|
|
"Voices" Information Sessions
|
Want to learn more about the role of a CASA Volunteer?
Come to our one-hour information session and hear how our volunteers advocate for children who have been abused and neglected.
New Braunfels
Wednesday,
November 7th, noon
CASA office
San Marcos
Wednesday, November 14th, noon
Historic County Courthouse, 1st floor conference room
|
|
CASA staff and volunteers will be on hand to share their stories and answer your questions.
Please RSVP to Eloise Hudson by
email
or at 830-626-2272.
Lunch provided by Chick-fil-A.
|
|
Here you have the perfect opportunity to give 107% to CASA! Through Birdies for Charity, not only will CASA receive 100% of all pledges for every birdie made at the Valero Texas Open, but Valero will match back 7% of all contributions made to CASA.
The Valero Texas Open has helped numerous local non-profits and schools over the past twenty years. Last year, over $4 million was raised! Birdies for Charity can be described as “golf-a-thon,” much like a walk-a-thon. Donors make a pledge such as 1 cent or 5 cents for every birdie made at the Valero Texas Open.
|
|
If you are interested in making a pledge for CASA for all birdies made from April 1-7 of 2019, you can pick up a pledge form in our CASA offices or follow this easy link
here
.
|
|
Retired teacher Barbara Vinson of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) highlighted to CASAs the severe and persistent behaviors that one can observe in children with ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar, and Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, among others.
Her husband provided a parent’s perspective on how families are affected and how they have been coping with their son’s Bipolar diagnosis, which went unseen for many years. 50% of mental health conditions have signs and symptoms by age 14. A student from Texas Lutheran University also shared her personal story and struggle with Bipolar and Anxiety.
|
|
As CASAs, we have the unique opportunity to gather information on the whole child. Barbara recommended that CASAs get information on behaviors at both home and school to provide a more well-rounded picture to a child’s therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. It’s important to listen to everyone’s observations of the child, to especially listen to the child and learn about any changes in their daily functioning and feelings, and to let them know that, “It’s okay to not be okay.”
|
|
Payroll Deductions for CASA
State and Federal employees may give to CASA of Central Texas through payroll deductions under the State Employee Charitable Campaign and the Combined Federal Campaign. Watch for Campaign drives at your office, or talk to your Human Resources Representative for information.
|
|
|
State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC)
CASA of Central Texas Code
#475017 (Capital Area)
#475030 (San Antonio Area)
|
|
Combined Federal Campaign
(CFC)
CASA of Central Texas
#60661
|
|
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
.
|
|
Thank you
Guadalupe Brewing Company
for hosting two 5Ks this month, Oh My Guad! 5K and the 5K Beer Run, both which benefitted CASA of Central Texas.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
