CASA Up Close
CASA of Central Texas advocates for abused and neglected children in the court system by recruiting, training and supporting community volunteers.


     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.
Letter from the Executive Director  
 
School's Out  
  
 For many children, the next few months will be fun-filled hot summer days with happy childhood memories being created. Sadly, though, my thoughts turn to children facing a different reality. 
 
     When children are in school, there are extra eyes and ears keeping up with their lives as their teachers see them every day. A teacher is often the one who notices changes and is a trusted person a child can open up to when he is not safe at home. In 2015 there were 41,452 reports of abuse made to Texas Child Protective Services by teachers, the highest percentage of reports at 19.5%. 
 
     But when school is out for the summer, teachers no longer see the children daily. Our CASA volunteers will not let the summer go by without checking to make sure the children are safe and have someone they can confide in.
 
     During the summer months, it is especially important for concerned community members to report suspected child abuse to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services at www.txabusehotline.org or by calling 1-800-252-5400. Teachers are a great resource for children, but they must not be the only resource.
 
      Keep the children on your mind and in your hearts as you enjoy this summertime, and remember that the children in our community are also the future of our community.
 
Norma Castilla-Blackwell
Executive Director  
Welcome New CASA Volunteers

Pamela Cantwell and Gina Marie Mendola-LaBella were sworn in by Judge Stuckey on May 12th. Thank you Garcia's Mexican Restaurant in Lockhart for hosting the welcome reception.
Volunteer Spotlight 
T racy Simmons
CASA Volunteer since 2012
 
     "I believe if I want to see a change in the world it is my responsibility to do my part; thus, becoming a CASA meant I could follow through in an area I feel very passionate." 

    "It can be very difficult making decisions on what is in the best interest of a child;  however, if I listen closely to a child I ultimately find the answer and my voice for that child in court."
 
    "Imagine not being able to communicate feelings or make decisions about your own life.  As a volunteer you are that compassionate voice to the child, that firm voice to a parent, and that voice for a child in court. I can't imagine anything more important."
Become a CASA Volunteer training
CASA Volunteer Toni Urban sworn in March 2014

Sign up for a 2016 Training Session  

For more information on training sessions contact Training Coordinator Debbie Haynes at 512-392-3578 or by email, or click here to visit our website.


A New Volunteer Training Course is required for all new Court Appointed Special Advocate Volunteers.
The Volunteer Training Course is a 6-part training series and all 6 classes are required.

Upcoming Training Courses
 
Saturdays Accelerated Course 
June 4 thru June 18
8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
San Marcos CASA office

Wednesdays  
June 29 thru August 3
1- 5 p.m.
San Marcos CASA office

Thursdays
June 30 thru August 4
4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
New Braunfels CASA office


See additional 2016 training dates on our website calendar

San Marcos
Historic Hays County Courthouse Room 101
111 E. San Antonio Street


New Braunfels
CASA office
1619 E. Common Street, Building C
Voices Tour Information Sessions Voices 

Want to learn more about the role of a CASA Volunteer?

Come to
ribbon 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.  
 
Voices Tours


New Braunfels 
Wednesday, June 1st, noon
CASA office
   
Schertz
Wednesday, June 1st, noon
GVEC Community Room, 908 Curtiss Ave 

Schertz
Wednesday, June 1st, 6 p.m.
GVEC Community Room, 908 Curtiss Ave


Seguin
Tuesday, June 7th, 11 a.m.
GVEC Community Room, 927 N Hwy 46
 
San Marcos 
Wednesday, June 15th,  noon
Historic Hays County Courthouse, Room 101


Please RSVP to Eloise Hudson by email or at 830-626-2272. 
 
Would you like to host a CASA Voices Tour in your town? Please contact us and get more information here!  
 
Lunch provided by Fox's Pizza Den in New Braunfels and Chick-fil-A in San Marcos. 
Join CASA at the Cottage Kitchen cottage
 

CASA of Central Texas will host the Cottage Kitchen lunch

Friday,  June 10th 
11 a.m. - 1 p.m 
Cottage Kitchen
400 W Hopkins Street
San Marcos 

Food provided by Gennaro's Trattoria.
Students Learn Through CASA Internships
Katherine Borchert, Texas State University Senior

Katherine Borchert

Why did you choose to intern with CASA?
A CASA volunteer is one of my professors and it sounded like a great organization to pursue and learn more about child welfare.

What were your activities as a CASA intern? Two cases of my own, helping set up for fundraiser, shadowing supervisors on different meetings and interventions.   

What stood out to you during your time as an intern with CASA?
How kind most foster children are to their CASAs and how invested volunteers get with their kid(s).

What are your future plans?
Getting a job in child advocacy up in OKC, Oklahoma

Briana Woodard

Briana Woodard,Texas Lutheran University Senior 

Why did you choose to intern with CASA? I chose to intern with CASA because it was a unique experience that would allow me to interact with a variety of different systems, such as CPS and the courts.

What were your activities as a CASA intern? Family Group Conferences, ARDs, home visits, Ciao CASA Fundraiser, audit preparation, treatment meetings, B-Roll Photo shoot for Texas CASA, casework, and filing.
 
What stood out to you during your time as an intern with CASA? Something that stood out to me is how well each of the separate systems works together. Everyone involved came together for the best interest of the child.

What are your future plans? I still have one more year of my undergraduate left to complete. After this, I will continue my education and get my master's degree in Criminology. I hope to teach theory and research one day at the college level. 
I am still serving as a CASA volunteer advocating for a child in Comal County.  
Recognizing and Reporting Abuse
 
      A Volunteer Continuing Education class was held at the Comal Child Advocacy center on May 17th.  Forensic Interviewer Susan White facilitated a new training developed by the Child Advocacy Center in Dallas that covered Recognizing and Reporting Abuse and Neglect. 

     Participants learned how to recognize specific types of abuse, different ways to report abuse and what happens after making a report.  White also outlined specific reporting policy in the state of Texas.

CASA of Central Texas volunteers are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education annually
Jewelers for Children 
 
     Marc Alonso (center) from Alonso Jewelry Designs in San Antonio represented Jewelers For Children in presenting CASA of Central Texas with a grant check ea rlier this month.  JFC is a long-time valued partner with National CASA and we are proud to be recipients of their funding this year.

 
CASA Goes Platinum 
    
     Great news! CASA of Central Texas is one of the first organizations to receive the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, an organization whose mission is to revolutionize philanthropy by providing information that advances transparency, enables users to make better decisions, and encourages charitable giving.

     GuideStar recently launched the Platinum participation level to help nonprofits celebrate their results for free! By sharing these metrics, we help the sector move beyond simplistic financial ratios to assess nonprofit progress.

     We chose to display quantitative metrics such as number of new advocates recruited, number of youth served and number of hours our volunteers received training to represent how hard CASA is working toward achieving our mission.

     We're proud to use GuideStar Platinum to share our full and complete story with the world. We achieved Platinum by completing GuideStar's preceding participation levels of Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Each provided stakeholders with increasingly detailed organizational information ranging from basic contact information to programmatic information. Check our our profile here
Help Recruit CASA Volunteers  VoicesHost 
reaching_hands_hdr.jpg
      Do you love CASA and want to help recruit volunteers? Now you can get the word out by being a host for one of our CASA Voices Tours Information Sessions.

     How? You pick a tour date and location that works best for you, commit to invite your friends and join us for the session. Let us do the rest. Our goal is for you to have five of your friends or colleagues attend as your guests and for them to hear why you support CASA. Then a CASA staff member will explain the history of the program, what's involved with being a CASA and how to get started. We believe your personal invitation will go far in encouraging people to learn more about CASA, and help us reach the goal of providing a CASA for every child in State care. 
 
     CASA will also invite people through social media and word-of-mouth so expect to see faces new to you, too!

     Voices Tours are held from noon - 1 on the first Wednesday of each month in New Braunfels and the second Wednesday of each month in San Marcos. Additional dates and locations are scheduled upon request. Please contact Eloise Hudson if you would like to host a Voices Tour.
Birthday Presents for CASA  
 

  
Rowan Edwards had his 5th birthday party this month and he continued his tradition of asking guests to bring household items instead of gifts to his party. The items were donated to CASA and will be given to homes where our children are placed with relatives who do not receive the same monthly stipend as foster homes. This year, his little sister Claire joined in the tradition since it was a joint party for her 1st birthday. Thanks Rowan and Claire!   
Donate Your Jury Pay to CASA   
   
     CASA of Central Texas is now appearing on the county courts list as a local charitable organization to whom jurors may elect to donate their jury duty pay. 

     CASA is on the Jury Pay Donation lists of all four of our counties - Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe and Hays.  If you serve as a juror, please look for our name and consider donating to CASA!
 
     Thank you County Judges, Commissioners and Administrators.
Community Supporters  

Knights of Columbus 3412 in Seguin

Rotary Club of Seguin
May 2016
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Upcoming Events

   
 
June
 
1st
Voices Tour in New Braunfels 
Noon -1 p.m.
CASA office
More info click here


1st
Voices Tour in Schertz
Noon - 1 p.m.
GVEC Community Room


1st
Voices Tour in Schertz
6 - 7 p.m.
GVEC Community Room
 
 
4th
CASA Volunteer Training Begins
8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Historic Hays County Courthouse room 101

7th
Voices Tour in Seguin
Noon - 1 p.m.
GVEC Community Room


10th
Cottage Kitchen Lunch 
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
San Marcos Cottage Kitchen
 

15th
Voices Tour in San Marcos 
Noon - 1 p.m.
Historic Courthouse room 101
 
29th
CASA Volunteer Training Begins
1 - 5 p.m.
Historic Hays County Courthouse room 101
 
 
30th
CASA Volunteer
Training Begins
4:30 - 8:30 p.m.
New Braunfels CASA office
 



July

5th
Voices Tour in Seguin
Noon - 1 p.m.
GVEC Community Room


6th
Voices Tour in New Braunfels 
Noon -1 p.m.
CASA office


20th
Voices Tour in San Marcos 
Noon - 1 p.m.
Historic Courthouse room 101
 


August

3rd 
Voices Tour in New Braunfels 
Noon -1 p.m.
CASA office


17th
Voices Tour in San Marcos 
Noon - 1 p.m.
Historic Courthouse room 101


24th
CASA Volunteer Training Begins
4:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Historic Hays County Courthouse room 101
35th
CASA Volunteer Training Begins
1 - 5 p.m.
New Braunfels CASA office
 
CASA Of Central Texas Inc.
www.casacentex.org
830-626-2272