Summer 2024

GEORGIA CASA CONFERENCE ON AUGUST 24TH TO BRING TOGETHER 500 CHILD ADVOCATES

We look forward to seeing many CASA staff, board members, volunteers, and others in child welfare at the upcoming Georgia CASA Conference on Saturday, August 24th at the Atlanta Marriott Northwest at Galleria! At our largest statewide CASA event, attendees will have the opportunity to network and learn best practices. The day-long conference will include a total of 21 workshops on a variety of topics such as trauma and brain science, education advocacy, advocating for children with incarcerated parents, and attachment and bonding.

At the conference’s Opening Session, awards will be given to two affiliate CASA programs, an affiliate board member, and a CASA champion. At the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, the CASA Volunteer of the Year in Georgia nominees and winner will be recognized and attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Shimaine Holley, Founder and CEO of Change Is Inevitable LLC, as the keynote speaker.

The conference will also have a CASA pop-up store as well as several other vendor tables. For more information about the conference, please visit the event website. The registration deadline is August 11th.

A big thank you to our current conference sponsors:

GEORGIA CASA LAUNCHES BLOG

Georgia CASA has launched a blog page! We are excited about this new feature of our website and invite you to take a few moments to peruse our blog posts.

Be inspired by this recent blog:

"Around eight years ago, my wife Robin and I stumbled upon TLC CASA in Dublin, Georgia, a discovery that would profoundly impact our lives…"

"…The emotional toll of fostering is significant. The foster care system is often like a ship that needs constant repairs while still sailing. It can be frustrating and heartbreaking, especially when decisions about the children’s futures are out of our hands. Yet, through it all, TLC CASA has been our rock, providing unwavering support and advocating for the children’s best interests. Fostering becomes really personal, and it can be hard to remain objective. Through those times, it was the CASA volunteers and the team at TLC CASA that helped us zoom out and see the bigger picture of the child’s story. 

Our involvement with TLC CASA deepened after we saw the invaluable support they provided during our fostering experiences. Robin became a CASA advocate first, followed by me. Eventually, I served on the board of TLC CASA, a role I cherished despite the challenges of balancing it with my pastoral duties, especially during the pandemic…"

Click here to read the full blog. 

NOTABLE NEWS TIDBITS

Georgia CASA Welcomes New Board Members and Thanks Outgoing Officers

July 1st brings in a new fiscal year for Georgia CASA and new board members:

• Laura Brown, Art + Works Creative Solutions (Atlanta)
• Keagan Clark, Chattahoochee CASA (Columbus), Council of Programs Representative
• Michael Eads, Truist (Smyrna)
• Marcie Smith, The Children's Haven, home of CASA Cherokee (Canton), Council of Programs Representative

We also welcome back Jennifer Alewine and Ann Rotroff after their one-year sabbaticals.

Welcome to our board officers:

• Kim Harrington, Chair
• Wendy Cobb, Vice Chair
• Marvin Vaughn, Secretary
• Daniel Hathaway, Treasurer

And a big thank you to Lauren Hyatt for serving as Chair the past two years and Dianne Scoggins for serving as Secretary.

Event Wrap-up: "CASA on the Catwalk" Luncheon & Fashion Show Fundraiser

Georgia CASA's annual signature fundraiser was held on April 23rd in Buckhead. With women's fashions from Tootsies, the event was moderated by TV personality Deidra Dukes of FOX5 Atlanta. Katina Lett, Managing Counsel for the American Cancer Society and former board member of Georgia CASA, was the honoree and inspired the sold-out crowd of 300 attendees with her remarks about the CASA organization and service to her community.

The event raised $94,000, made possible through the generosity of event sponsors, in-kind sponsors, silent auction donors, the event planning committee chaired by Ursula Reynolds and co-chaired by Yvonee Nelli, and all event participants and supporters. Click here to view all event pictures (pictured below are models).

ICYMI: If I Could Have Dinner with Anyone...

Each month, Jen King, Georgia CASA's Executive Director, shares an email letter with supporters. On May 31st, she shared a letter asking readers to think about if they could have dinner with anyone who it would be and what they would want to talk about. She related this to family members often being the answer. Likewise, children served by CASA volunteers often want to spend quality time with their families and CASA volunteers help to maintain permanent connections between children and their families.

Click here to read the inspirational letter.

AFFILIATE PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT: CASA OF THE OGEECHEE JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

Starting in this issue, Georgia CASA will highlight one of our affiliate CASA programs in the state. Please take a moment to read more about CASA Ogeechee, headquartered in Statesboro and operating for 22 years.

Tell us how many volunteers you had last year along with how many children were served. In 2023, CASA Ogeechee served 89 children with 26 volunteers.

How many CASA team members do you have? Five (pictured at right).

What is the service area? CASA Ogeechee serves Bulloch, Effingham, Jenkins, and Screven counties. Our service area is rural and located in the heart of a college community.

What is the favorite thing about your community? Our community is very engaged. Whether it be sporting events, live music downtown, or organizations hosting benefits for their program, our community shows up!

What is a unique tradition or event your affiliate holds annually? A unique event that we have is our CASA Ogeechee Duck Race where we launch over 1,000 ducks into the Lazy River at Splash in the Boro. The race raises over $10,000, equivalent to the training, support, and advocacy of 10 CASA volunteers annually. The winning duck has secured one lucky winner a weeklong stay in Hilton Head over the past few years.

What is your team's favorite local spot to grab lunch or coffee? This depends on who you ask or what day it is since many of our local restaurants are closed on Mondays. It’s hard to narrow it down to just one, so let’s say Hopeulikit BBQ and Bites in the Boro.

What advice would you give to someone considering becoming a CASA volunteer? My advice would be to take the step! Sign up for an information session or swing by your local CASA office! That is the hardest part because once you are in the door, you are surrounded by the support of your local CASA team and the entire Georgia network. CASA volunteers make such a profound difference in the lives of children.

Share a recent mission moment: One mission moment at the top of my mind is our recent Meet and Mingle with all four DFCS offices. Our CASA volunteers met new Case Managers and caught up with Case Managers from their previous cases. Along with getting case updates, we were able to have meaningful and productive conversations outside of the courtroom. For all four offices to be in attendance is truly remarkable, because we all know the hard and busy schedules that caseworkers have. The role of a CASA volunteer is deeply rooted in collaboration, so having the space to network and maintain regular communication is crucial to the well-being of children experiencing the foster care system!

THANK YOU, DONORS!

Thank you to the donors who supported Georgia CASA for Winter and Spring 2024. Because of our donors' generosity, over 8,600 children in foster care in Georgia last year were assigned a CASA volunteer to provide best-interest advocacy. Thank you, donors, for your investment in children!

Click here to view the donor listing for January 1 - June 30, 2024.

If you are not yet part of our donors, please consider giving online here! Gifts of any amount, either one-time or recurring, are greatly appreciated!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

GEORGIA CASA HAS MOVED