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May 2020: News, Events, and Opportunities for CASA Volunteers
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Letter from CASA Executive Director Angela Rose
As the world has slowed down a bit, I have spent some extra time on my patio just taking in the beauty we are lucky enough to be surrounded by here in the Pikes Peak Region. I hope that you too are finding good ways to enjoy the warmer weather and mountain views.
With summer on the horizon, the question remains about how CASA will move forward under current circumstances. As you all know, CASA's service to this community has not stopped or even slowed down. We have only changed our processes. We want to keep you in the loop, and so please know that we do have tentative plans to re-open our building to the public on June 1. Should this plan come to fruition, there will be new guidelines that we ask all staff, volunteers, and visitors to adhere to. We will distribute more information on these guidelines within the next few weeks.
I truly cannot wait to see you in person again. In the meantime though, CASA has had some pretty great successes that are worth celebrating. Many of you were aware of our #Give5Challenge5 campaign that ran on social media. That campaign brought in over $8,500! We have also had great success in virtual volunteer recruitment with more than 15 people attending our first-ever Zoom Volunteer Info Session and another 20 people signed up for our first-ever Virtual Volunteer Training which began last week.
Thank you for your continued commitment to the children of the Pikes Peak Region. As always, if there is anything you'd like to chat with me about please do not hesitate to send me an email to
[email protected].
Warmly,
Angela
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Thanks to generous donors and a committed advocate, a CASA teen is set up to achieve his dreams
The young man pictured here is a CASA teen who dreams of a career in video editing. He doesn't just dream about it though. He is working hard to make that dream a reality.
The boy's CASA advocate in Teller County is Paul Nicks. Paul knew that to successfully embark on his chosen career path, the teen would need an expensive, custom-built laptop by the time he ages out of foster care. The price tag for the needed computer was $1,400 which is well above what CASA's Milton Foster Children's Fund covers for a single child. Paul worked with MFCF, Junior League, and CarePortal in attempt to raise the needed funds.
Four generous donors came through almost immediately to meet the CarePortal request and a grateful young man received his laptop this month.
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Coming soon to a screen near you... CASA's first ever Virtual Light of Hope fundraising event
CASA is very excited to announce our first ever Virtual Light of Hope event, coming soon to a computer screen near you!
Because we were unable to gather in person for the 20th edition of this important fundraiser, we have made plans to take the event online. The online event will occur June 4-9 with a goal of raising $200,000.
This year's event will feature the story of Annie, a little girl who was born with multiple medical issues including a serious heart condition, fluid on her brain, and failure to thrive. Annie's mother was homeless, did not seek any prenatal treatment, and used alcohol and drugs throughout her pregnancy. No one knew if Annie would ever walk, talk, or feed herself.
CASA Advocate Mary Stark was critical to Annie's development into the happy and healthy child she is today. We invite you to visit CASAPPR.ORG June 4-9 to attend the event and to share it with friends and loved ones. More information on the virtual event will be available in the coming weeks.
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Upcoming Events
May 18-19: Helping Children Thrive
May 19: Hanger Donation Day
June 2: Volunteer Information Session
June 4-9: Virtual Light of Hope
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Milton Foster Children's Fund
Teen classes are still happening but have gone virtual for May and June!
Click here to see available classes and items that will be needed for each class. If you plan to sign up for a class, please make sure
Zoom is either installed on your computer or as an app on your phone.
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Take Five Minutes to Gain Support for CASA/GAL Programs
The National CASA/GAL Association recently sent a letter to Congress, asking them to support CASA/GAL advocacy and the children we serve during this time of national crisis. In all, 376 state organizations and local CASA/GAL programs signed on, representing 44 states. The signed letter has been sent to House and Senate leadership; you can view it
here.
Our national association is now asking program staff, volunteers, board members, and partners to join in flooding Congress with messages of support. You can contribute to this effort by taking a couple of minutes to contact Congress
via this
link
.
This is a very quick and easy way to support our work and the children we serve. It takes a short amount of time but will make a world of difference. Thank you for your time and consideration and for helping make our inaugural Congressional sign-on letter such a success. Please join us in multiplying and strengthening our collective voice!
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Inclusion Corner: Identifying and changing implicit bias
One way to define implicit bias is "what we don't think we think." The more formal definition is "an unconscious belief or attitude toward any social group." Implicit bias matters because it is what causes you to stereotype. It is because of implicit bias that you attribute certain qualities or characteristics to all members of a particular group. Many do not like to believe they are susceptible, but the reality is that everyone engages in these behaviors. The most important thing you can do is to be aware of your implicit biases and make a conscious effort to move in the other direction once you have identified a bias.
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