Voices for Children Montgomery
Fall 2021 Newsletter
| IN THIS NEWSLETTER: New Staff | New CASAs | Upcoming Events | Giving Tuesday | A Child is Waiting | Volunteer Spotlights | Upcoming Pre-Service Training |Volunteer Anniversaries | Donors Making a Difference | |
Welcome to Our Newest Staff Members | |
VFCM is pleased to welcome our newest Case Supervisor, Lisa Jaffe, to our staff. Lisa has a degree in sociology with a concentration in criminal justice from Shepherd University, and she has worked as a case manager assistant for Montgomery County's Coalition for the Homeless and as a therapeutic day treatment counselor. Most recently, Lisa had been working as a therapeutic case manager for For Children's Sake, a treatment foster care agency in Virginia. We are so happy that Lisa has joined our team, as we think she'll be a great addition to our staff! | |
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We are delighted to welcome Heather Mixon to the new staff position of Development Coordinator! Heather's experience includes grant research and grant writing for several non-profit organizations in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, including the Conservation Law Foundation, an environmental advocacy organization, One House at a Time (OHAAT), and Rescuing Leftover Cuisine Massachusetts. We are excited to have Heather join our team and know she will be an invaluable asset as we work toward our goal of expanding to serve every child in foster care in Montgomery County by 2026.
Welcome, Heather!!
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Welcome to Our Newest CASAs | Congratulations to the new CASA volunteers who completed their training. | |
Spring 2021 Class:
Dory Caplan
Nicole Etsey
Kelly Goldstein
Mercy Griffith
Sanata Kote
John Manthei
Kimberly Manthei
Jessica McTigue
Terry Melo
Avrah Mendelsohn
Amanda Strite
Tafadzwa Vargas-Kasambira
Maryanne Waller
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Summer 2021 Class:
Carmel Amero
Judy Butler
Shenae Chambers
Tammy Goldberg
Ilana Gorog
Seantae Jones
Kathryn Park
Elizabeth Quinn
Emily Schabacker
Danisa Williams
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Voices For Children Montgomery will have an information table at the Takoma Park Street Festival. Please stop by and see us. | Check our website regularly for upcoming events and updates! | |
Save the Date for Giving Tuesday |
Giving Tuesday is November 30, 2021. Because of you, we're able to make a big impact!
Five ways to give:
- Give your time or talent: volunteer, give your skills
- Give your voice: sign a petition, speak up for a cause
- Give money: donate or fundraise for a nonprofit
- Give goods: organize a supply drive, donate clothes
- Give kindness: buy someone lunch, compliment a stranger
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The Combined Federal Campaign will run from September 1, 2021 through January 15, 2022. Our CFC charity code is 90448. Thank you for your support. | |
*Ryland is a 10-year-old little boy who is waiting for a CASA volunteer. He officially came into foster care in December 2020, following a long history which included sexual abuse and witnessing domestic violence. As a result of the trauma he experienced, Ryland has a history of aggressive behavior, including acting out on other children, and of mental health issues, including a history of hospitalizations for suicidal ideation. While his mother sought help and services, Ryland was formally removed from his mother and placed in a kinship placement with his grandmother because his mother was unable to keep Ryland and his siblings safe. This is a little boy who is going to need a lot of services to work through his trauma history and who would benefit from a CASA volunteer ensuring he is getting the appropriate care. | |
Dr. Tafadzwa Kasambira is the CASA for 17-year-old *Kyle, who came to the United States on his own, as he and his parents feared for his safety in his home country after local gang members began recruiting him at a young age. Dr. Kasambira started building rapport with Kyle through weekly visits and conversations about Kyle's hobbies and plans for college. Through these conversations, Dr. Kasambira came to learn that Kyle has a passion for music and that he used to play both the piano and flute back home. Dr. Kasambira was able to advocate that Kyle again be afforded this opportunity and he was able to get Kyle his own keyboard piano. | |
Terry Roder has been working with 19-year-old Sara* for almost a year and half. Sara came into care due to her own mental health needs, and she has been in out-of-home care for years. Two years ago, she was placed on a trial home visit with her father, but it did not work out. Since then, Sara has focused on her mental health treatment and has continued her relationship with her father and other family members. Terry has been a consistent presence in Sara’s life and has followed Sara through different placements and providers. On August 16, 2021, Sara began a trial home visit with her father, brother and extended family. Terry advocated to ensure all Sara’s mental health services were in place before her move. Now that Sara is home, Terry is working to make sure Sara’s family has all the doctor’s notes and information they need to address her medical issues, especially a recently diagnosed condition that affects Sara’s muscles. | *Names changed and photos are not of CASA children | |
Upcoming Pre-Service Training Sessions for
Prospective Volunteers
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Our fall pre-service training starts this Saturday, September 18, 2021. It is not too late to sign up, email Nancy King at nking@casamontgomery.org for more information. | |
Saturday | 9/18/2021 | 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM | Monday | 9/20/2021 | 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM | Wednesday | 9/22/2021 | 4:30 PM to 7:45 PM | Friday | 9/24/2021 | 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM | Monday | 9/27/2021 | 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM | Wednesday | 9/29/2021 | 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM | Monday | 10/04/2021 | 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM | | |
Saturday | 1/08/2022 | 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM | Monday | 1/10/2022 | 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM | Wednesday** | 1/12/2022 | 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM | Friday | 1/14/2022 | 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM | Tuesday | 1/18/2022 | 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM | Thursday | 1/20/2022 | 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM | Monday | 1/24/2022 | 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM | | |
** Time subject to change to 4:30- 7:45 pm | |
Thank you to each of the following individuals for your years of service and dedication to your CASA youth. Happy Anniversary! | |
7 Years
Richard Kerr
3 Years
Elizabeth Cherneff
Kyle Krasnoff
Leah Schwartz
Candace Simpson
2 Years
Kathleen Allen
Deborah Ambrose
Erica Brown
Susan Burger
Ashley Flory
Sheila Healy
Rebecca Hellman
Patricia Louden
Christiane Robbins
Monique Samuel
Christine Smith
Delna Williams
Mary Wei
Cindy Woodfield
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1 Year
Kimberly Blasey
Lauryn Boucree
Susie Buckley
Elizabeth Fisher
Christine Long
Neil Mann
Brandey McDonald
Lauren Rosenbauer
Amanda Sipes
Meredith Valmon
Sylvia Winik
Rita Wolff
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Donors Making A Difference | *Donations received from 6/01/2021 to 9/14/2021 | Thank you to everyone who made a donation! Your generosity is the reason we are able to continue to help children in foster care in Montgomery County. We could not do this work without YOU!! | |
Donors
Loris Ayirebi
John Belliveau
Karen & Dean Cooper
Jennifer Fairfax
Leslie & Art Greenberg
Martha Landesberg
Liora Moriel
Jarrett Perlow
Olga Pilshchikova
Rachel & Travis Stalcup
Lillian Teng
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Special Thanks
AmazonSmile
Dell Giving
Giant Food
Kay Family Foundation
Microsoft
T. Rowe Price
United Health Group
United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania
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Be the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer that every child in Montgomery County, Maryland’s foster care system needs. | |
Voices for Children Montgomery depends upon donations from people like you to continue its work. Make a donation today to help us reach our goal of serving ALL the children in foster care in Montgomery County by 2026. | |
Voices for Children Montgomery is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and receives partial funding from the Montgomery County Dept. of Health and Human Services and the Administrative Office of the Courts Dept. of Juvenile and Family Services. | | | | |