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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- Ground Breaking
- Welcome New CASA Volunteers
- Amplify Austin and Big Give
- Training Dates
- Join us in April
- Carol Grimm Day
- Information Sessions
- Birdies for Charity
- Payroll Deductions for CASA
- Events Benefiting CASA
- Community Support
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Letter from the Executive Director
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What better way to wrap up January and kick off February than with the official groundbreaking on our new Training and Support Center in Hays County!
I would like to thank all who came out on January 31 to be part of the ceremony. It is an important milestone for CASA and I could not be more proud to see the growth that is taking place to meet the needs of our community.
Our long-time friend and supporter Patrick Rose from Corridor Title said it best as the Master of Ceremonies:
“I am talking about ordinary, everyday people, like us, who are trying to work hard and make the country, the world, the community a better place. There is no better example of that than CASA,” he said. “We have benefitted in Central Texas over the last 34 years from this branch, this chapter of CASA, specifically CASA of Central Texas.”
Patrick said every day in this region, three children become victims of abuse and neglect for the first time.
“These children need a voice, they need an independent spokesperson to protect their wellbeing, they need someone to help prevent re-abuse, they need someone who is a trained advocate who can help get them into a permanent home…for an opportunity rich future. They need, specifically, in short, they need a CASA in their life.”
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I cannot possibly mention and thank everyone who has supported us this far, but please take a minute to recognize all who have been part of this journey from the beginning.
Project Partners: ECM International Inc., Balfour Beatty, Fuse Architecture Studio, Doucet & Associates, X5 Engineering, Wood & Thomason Construction, McKenna Foundation, Coleman & Associates, Dunaway, Cemex, Ingram Readymix Inc.
Campaign Donors: Hays County, City of San Marcos, Miriam McCoy, The JE & LE Mabee Foundation, the Meadows Foundation, Texas Pioneer Foundation, Burdine Johnson Foundation, Comal Cops for Kids Foundation, San Marcos Lions Club, Tomblin Family Foundation, Walton International, Hobby Family Foundation, Hays Energy LLC, Union Pacific Foundation, Grande Community Chest, Joan Bancroft, Mary Alice Bethancourt, Carol Bisset, Norma & Chris Blackwell, Nancy Deckard, Kathy Dial, Donna & Archie Dishman, Linda & Stanley Finch, Belinda & Ron Frisk, JoAnne Germer, Teresa & David Junkin, Chloe & John Navarrette, Tricia & Mike Schneider, Robert Williams and many more.
Ceremony Donors: Kissing Tree Golf Club, Dos Gatos, Mochas & Javas, Comal Event Rental, Jim Flynn Photography, Sean Williams, Juan Carlos Cavasos & SMHS Mariachi Nuevo Cascabel.
We are looking forward to completion late this year. For more information and to support the campaign, visit
here
. For photos, videos and news coverage, click
here.
Norma Castilla-Blackwell
CASA of Central Texas
Executive Director
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Welcome New CASA Volunteer
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Welcome
Nancy Glenn,
(pictured on right with Judge McClenahan), sworn in as our newest CASA Volunteer on January 11!
Nancy has completed 5 weeks of training, background checks, and courtroom observation and is now ready to advocate for children in court.
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Amplify Austin and Big Give San Antonio
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No matter where you live, you may give to CASA through one or both of these fun and exciting days of online giving. Giving has never been this easy!
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Amplify Austin
is the 7th annual community-wide day of online giving in Central Texas.
Last year, 9
7 incredible donors gave $11,294 in just twenty-four hours to CASA of Central Texas. Such a feat empowered advocates to be a voice for children who entered the court system due to abuse and neglect. These children are now thriving in safe, permanent, and loving homes.
This year we are aiming to raise $15,000, because we believe that
every
child deserves the same opportunity! By celebrating and uplifting the Power of Voices for Children
, please mark your calendar to give any time between 6:00pm on February 28
th
and 6:00pm on March 1st or click
here
and get your gift in early.
If you would like to support CASA on social media, please use
#PowerofVoicesforChildren
when you post.
February 28 - March 1
6 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Schedule your gift to CASA today!
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The
Big Give San Antonio
is back for its 6th year!
L
ast year, 46 donors gave a total of $14,872 to CASA of Central Texas through the Big Give. The impact of their generosity has been huge! Children are no longer living as victims of abuse and neglect, because an advocate served as a voice for them and their needs.
To provide even more children with a permanent and stable home,
please mark your calendars to give on March 28
th
.
When is the best time to give? Anytime during the 24 hours is great, but we have a chance to earn prize money from the
McKenna Foundation
.
So, the BEST time to give to CASA is 10am to Noon to help us win!
March 28
Midnight - Midnight
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Interested in creating your own fundraising page? Contact us
here.
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Upcoming Training Dates
Wednesdays - San Marcos
March 27 - April 24
4:30 - 8:30
Thursdays - New Braunfels
March 28 - April 25
1 - 5 p.m.
Saturdays - Seguin
March 30 - April 13
9 - 3 p.m.
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For more information on training courses, contact Layla Coleman at 512-392-3578, 830-626-2272, or by
email.
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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.
Application deadline prior to each cycle is two weeks before start of training.
Submit your volunteer application
here
.
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CASAblanca
Here's Looking at You Kid!
CASA of Central Texas Annual Fundraiser
April 12, 2019
6:30 p.m.
Chandelier of Gruene
1924 Bretzke Lane
New Braunfels
Honoring
Barry Williams, Regional President, Prosperity Bank
Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe
, Commissioner, Precinct 1 – Hays County
Individual tickets and sponsorship information
here
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San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson proclaimed February 4th as
“Carol Grimm Day”
in recognition of her volunteer work with CASA of Central Texas!
Thank you, Carol, for your dedication to the 14 children you have served through CASA since 2001!
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Carol (center) along with the Mayor (far left) and CASA staff, volunteers and her family.
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"Voices" Information Sessions
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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, February 6th, noon
CASA office
San Marcos
Wednesday, February 20th, noon
Historic County Courthouse, 1st floor conference room
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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.
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Make a pledge today! In 2018, 2,904 birdies were made at the Valero Texas Open. A pledge of $0.01 yielded a donation of $29.04 for CASA.
If 3,000 birdies are made at this year’s tournament and 100 people make a $0.01 pledge, CASA will take home $3,000!
Plus a 7% match back from Valero.
There are three easy steps you can take to make a pledge
here
. First, share your name and contact info. Then, select CASA as the charity you wish to support. Lastly, enter your payment information and support CASA! If you would like to make a pledge in-person, you can stop by one of our CASA offices and fill out a pledge form today!
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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.
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State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC)
CASA of Central Texas Code
#475017 (Capital Area)
#475030 (San Antonio Area)
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Combined Federal Campaign
(CFC)
CASA of Central Texas
#60661
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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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Thank you
Denise Bindel
and all who donated and purchased books during the online Usborne Book Drive set up on Facebook by
Keren Jackson
.
Two heavy boxes full of books were donated to CASA of Central Texas to distribute to children on our cases.
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New Braunfels
Breakfast Lions Club
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