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
- Training Dates
- CAMP CASA
- A Night out for CASA
- Amplify Austin & The Big Give SA
- CASA Training & Support Center Update
- Information Sessions
- Champions fore Charity
- Advocate Continuing Education
- Annual Impact Report
- Events Benefiting CASA
- Community Support
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Letter from the Executive Director
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CASA Volunteers are proven to improve the lives of foster children and to prepare them for life after they leave care. One thing that makes the CASA program and our volunteers so effective is our network of partnerships with the many agencies in our community. CASA would like to take a moment to express our gratitude for social workers during March which is
National Social Work Month
.
We see firsthand how social workers juggle multiple cases, work in high-stress circumstances with families facing serious health and legal issues, and stand on the front lines to safeguard children by ensuring they and their families have the necessary resources to heal. Social workers sometimes see the worst of humanity, and yet they keep an optimistic view that, with support, people can change their lives.
Every day, CASA volunteers observe social workers doing very difficult jobs with skill and compassion. CASA knows they are an important piece in the network for protecting our children.
CASA of Central Texas extends our thanks and appreciation to the local social workers whom we work with every day as well as all those across the country who are working to care for our children.
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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 15 new CASA Volunteers in February!
Thank you to all 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 February 12
Ashley Martinez
of Comal County,
Terry Jackson
of Comal
County,
Bri Compton
of Comal
County,
Susie Barrett
of Comal
County,
Allison Hillman
of Hays
County,
Juliet Welch
of Comal
County,
Kelle Salter
of Comal
County,
Deidra Rosenbaum
of Hays
County,
Joe Skop
of Bexar
County,
Dona Stuart
of Comal
County,
Ray Palermo
of Hays
County,
Sandi Whitaker
of Comal
County and
Dena Rodriguez
of Comal
County.
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Sworn in February 20
Left to Right:
Nancy Emma
of Guadalupe County,
The Honorable Judge Thomas Stuckey,
Angel Jones
of Guadalupe County, CASA Training Coordinator
Brandi Raschke,CASA Executive Director Norma Blackwell and Guadalupe County Sheriff Arnold Zwicke.
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Upcoming Volunteer Trainings
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Become a CASA Volunteer
April 1 - April 29
5 - 9 p.m.
April 2 - April 30
1 - 5 p.m.
April 18 - May 2
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Buda Library
May 13 - June 10
1 - 5 p.m.
May 14 - June 11
5 - 9 p.m.
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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.
Application deadline prior to each cycle is two weeks before start of training. Submit your volunteer application
here
.
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CASA of Central Texas' Annual Dinner & Auction
Join us at
CAMP CASA
-every child deserves to be a happy camper-
Honorees:
Caldwell County - Leonard Germer
Comal County - Belinda and Ron Frisk
Guadalupe County - Linda Douglass
Hays County - Laura Dupont
Friday April 3rd 2020
6:30 pm
Chandelier of Gruene
1924 Bretzke Lane, New Braunfels, TX
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Thank You to our Sponsors
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Bill and Betty Thomas
Greater Texas Credit Union
Jeff Hargis
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Becky & Kern Huff
Broadway Bank
Becky and Gene Lake
J&R Gymnastics
Texas Lehigh Cement Co.
The Kyle Law Firm
Bimbo Bakeries USA
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Dripping Springs Distilling
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Get your raffle ticket for a chance to take home this
diamond necklace
donated by
Americus Diamond
.
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Reserved table for eight to see
Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes on April 24th
donated by
Krause's Biergarten.
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Three-night stay in this beautiful,
Hill Country Airbnb in Fredericksburg
donated by
Kate Woolsey
.
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Two State of Texas
Rocking Chairs
donated by
State Representative John Kuempel
.
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Fender FA-125
signed by George Strait
donated by
New Braunfels Music
.
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Join us for a fun night out benefitting CASA, featuring
Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes!
April 24th
Krause's Biergarten
148 S. Castell Avenue
New Braunfels
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Amplify Austin Day - March 5-6 - 6PM to 6PM
In honor of our 35
th
anniversary, we ask everyone to give at least $35 on Amplify Austin Day
here
and help us reach our $35,000 goal! We also challenge everyone to share this challenge with 35 of your closest friends and loved ones!
After three and half decades, we continue to hold the vision of providing the voice of a CASA volunteer to every child in State Care, an objective we believe we can accomplish all the more with a permanent home of our own. This year, donations will help build our new Training and Support Center in San Marcos, opening later this year.
Peer-to-peer fundraising opportunities are also available! Click on “Fundraise” at the top of the page to get started
here
.
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The Big Give SA - March 26 - Midnight to Midnight
The celebration of our anniversary picks up again! Let’s honor 35 years of helping children thrive, because our CASA volunteers champion the indisputable right for every child to be placed in a home that’s loving and secure!
In recognition of CASA's 35th anniversary, we ask everyone to give at least $35 during the Big Give
here
. We also ask you to help spread the word by sharing our fundraising efforts with 35 of your closest friends and love ones!
The best time to give is from 10:00am to 12:00pm on March 26
th
, so that CASA has a chance to win $1,000 in prize money!
Proceeds from this year’s Big Give will go towards much-needed renovations at our New Braunfels location. If you’d like to boost your impact, peer-to-peer fundraising opportunities are also available! Click on “Fundraise” at the top of the page to get started
here
.
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Training and Support Center Update
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The walls are up inside the Training and Support Center!
You can still support our Capital Campaign by check or online
here
. As we near the finish line of completing this long-envisioned facility, our primary needs include furniture (tables, desks, chairs, shelving), landscaping (trees, plants, irrigation), a projector and a projection screen. Every dollar helps!
Check out the updates in the video to the right. See more videos of construction progress
here
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Thank you to our project partners
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"Voices" Information Sessions
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Learn more about CASA at one of our upcoming 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.
CASA staff and volunteers will be on hand to share their stories and answer your questions.
Please RSVP by
email
or at 830-626-2272
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Seguin
Monday, March 9, noon
Seguin Public Library
Buda
Monday, March 9, 6:30 p.m.
Buda Public Library
Dripping Springs
Tuesday March 10, 6 p.m.
Dripping Springs Community Library
San Marcos
Wednesday, March 11, noon
Historic County Courthouse, 1st floor conference room
Bulverde
Monday, March 23, 6:30 p.m.
Mammen Family Public Library
Canyon Lake
Monday, April 6, noon
Tye Preston Memorial Library
Schertz
Monday April 6, 6:30 p.m.
Schertz United Methodist Church
Lockhart
Tuesday April 7, 6 p.m.
Clark Library
Wimberley
Wednesday April 1, 9:15 a.m.
Wimberley Cafe
New Braunfels
Wednesday April 1, noon
CASA office
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Champions fore Charity
By supporting CASA of Central Texas through Champions fore Charity, a child in State Care will have a
107% chance
of being provided the voice of a CASA volunteer to advocate for their right to thrive in a safe and loving home. With every dollar,
CASA will receive a 7% match
from Valero.
Last year, a generous donor gave $1,000 to CASA through Champions fore Charity and not only did CASA receive the full amount of her donation but CASA received an additional $70 from Valero as well. It’s really a win-win situation and a great way to ensure that the most vulnerable children in our community are helped!
Donate
here
or pick up a donation form from one of the CASA offices today.
Learn more about Champions fore Charity
here
.
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Continuing Education for Volunteers
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Two Forensic Interviewers from Roxanne’s House walked CASAs through the forensic interview process for children who may have been abused physically or sexually.
Serving Hays and Caldwell Counties, Roxanne's House is the child advocacy center that interviews children so that a child does not have to relay their story multiple times to multiple people, Roxanne’s House is part of a multidisciplinary team which includes Law Enforcement, the District Attorney’s office, CPS, and CASA. We meet to discuss these cases which may lead to criminal charges against perpetrators.
A forensic interviewer establishes rapport with a child, using skills to make the child feel more comfortable, to minimize suggestibility, and to certify that the child knows a truth from a lie. The interviewer asks that the child promise to tell the truth and then introduces the topic of concern. The objective is to gather details (who, what, when, where) by asking non-leading questions. The interview is video recorded and representatives from Law Enforcement, the DA’s office, and CPS watch in a separate room. The process allows for the interviewer to take a short break and check in with the team in case any clarification is needed prior to ending the interview.
Roxanne’s House emphasizes that they are interested in the child as a person rather than just a victim. As needed, children are referred to their counseling program for therapeutic services as well as appropriate local resources so that children can work toward closure.
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In many ways FY 2018 – 2019 was a banner year for CASA of Central Texas. From implementing new groundbreaking initiatives to breaking ground on our Training & Support Center, what an exciting year it’s been!
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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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McCraw Oil Company
and Kwik Chek
Wimberley
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Torchy's Tacos
San Marcos
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