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Court Appointed Specials Advocates
GRAND RAPIDS Mich. (WOOD) - Court Appointed Specials Advocates (CASA) is 1of 8 Connecting with Community Awards Finalist. Watch the video to see how their partnership connects to their community.
House Party ‘09: A Fairy Tale Evening
The third annual CASA of Kent County House Party fundraiser, A Fairy Tale Evening hosted by James and Christie Eerdmans, was indeed a dream come true. A magical time was had by all at the beautiful Eerdmans home where over 100 people came out in support of the CASA organization and the children we serve. An incredible $30,000 was raised. Thank you to all the West Michigan individuals and businesses that contributed to a delightful evening of support and celebration. You truly are the “knights in shining armor” that make happy endings possible for many of the neediest children in our community.
United States Senate Establishes Caucus on Foster Youth
Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), a strong champion
for children in foster care and ranking member of the
Senate Finance Committee that sponsored the Fostering
Connections to Success Act, has announced the
formation of a Senate Caucus on Foster Youth. Senator
Mary Landrieu (D-LA), another staunch advocate for
children, will co-chair the caucus.
In announcing the caucus, Grassley explained he wants to
focus attention on the needs of kids who remain in foster
care and young adults who age out without the support
and stability of a permanent family. He envisions the
caucus as a forum for current and former foster youth “to
have their voices heard and to make Senators more aware
of these issues, generate ideas for preventing negative
outcomes and [generate] opportunities for success.”
The caucus will coordinate Senate briefings by think tank
representatives, foster care coalitions and other groups
close to foster youth. National CASA is one of ten
supporting organizations named in the Senator’s press
release. CASA Deputy CEO M. Carmela Welte is vice
chair of the National Foster Care Coalition, which works
closely with the Senator’s staff on his agenda to address
foster care issues.
Article Source: National CASA Public Policy Update, April 2010
New Volunteers Grow CASA’s Reach
Over the past four months we have had the honor of swearing
in 25 new volunteers. These individuals selflessly dedicated over
30 hours of their time to participate in formal CASA training.
Each new volunteer has been assigned a case advocating for
some of the more than 700 abused and neglected children in
Kent County. We celebrate the energy and commitment of
these dynamic individuals and recognize that all our volunteers,
both established and new, are at the very foundation of the
CASA mission. While many more children wait to be served,
the addition of the following individuals to the CASA volunteer
community represents a significant increase in our ability to
serve the children of Kent County.
New CASA volunteers are: Kelly Campbell, Bruce Carson,
Tia Carter, Essence Cherry, Tamika Cooper, Deborah Drew,
Angelica Ferrer, Michelle Fraungruber, Dana Gomez, Julia
Grant, Chris Griffin, Deborah Grow, Debbie Hicks, Michael
Hoag, Megan Hunter, Kathryn Klemesrud, Angela Mason,
Susan Mozley, Aimee Perry, Ashley Peterson, Jane Plaisted,
Mary Ann Polonowski, Destiny Totten, Nicole Turnbull and Carol Werkema. Welcome!
In The Paper
Making a Difference: Carolyn Guyton
By The Grand Rapids Press, April 12, 2009
EDITOR'S NOTE: "Making a Difference" profiles someone whose good works make our community a better place.
As the mother of eight children, Carolyn Guyton is a natural advocate for kids... [Read
More]
Making a Difference: Marion Haight
By The Grand Rapids Press, September 16, 2007
EDITOR'S NOTE: "Making a Difference" profiles someone whose good works make our community a better place.
Some of the things Marion Haight saw and learned during training to be a court-appointed special advocate were overwhelm... [Read
More]
Making a Difference: Chris Resau
By The Grand Rapids Press, February 11, 2007
EDITOR'S NOTE: "Making a Difference" profiles someone whose good works make our community a better place.
When Chris Resau saw a special on television more than 10 years ago
about a CASA volunteer, she saw her future... [Read
More]