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HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM DALLAS CASA

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Dear CASA Friends,     

 

This Thanksgiving holiday, we express our deepest appreciation to all those who do so much throughout the year to make sure abused and neglected children have someone they can count on during the most frightening time in their lives. Read on for a story about how two CASA volunteer advocates made a lifelong difference in a child's life and to learn about some of the ways our corporate and foundation supporters are making a difference in our community.

 

These stories are possible because of the support of our generous community of volunteers, board members, staff and friends. Best wishes for a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday, and remember how grateful we are for you!  

 

Warmest regards,

  

Signature   

Beverly Levy
Executive Director and President 

HANNAH NEEDED SOMEONE SHE COULD COUNT ON

 

Hannah's mother was so addicted to crack cocaine that she frequently turned tricks to support her drug habit.

  

Hannah and her three siblings also were exposed to the many men their mother brought into their home. Child Protective Services removed the children from their mother's care and sent them to live with their grandmother. The grandmother soon found that she could not care for all four children and asked that two of the children be taken into foster care.

 

CASA volunteers Stacy and Kelly were appointed to the case. Shortly afterward, Mom completed all of her court-ordered services and the children were returned to her home. Because of Mom's history with drugs and prostitution, CPS and CASA agreed to allow the children to go home under a monitored return.

 

By carefully observing the family, Stacy and Kelly discovered that the children were not attending school or being supervised appropriately. It wasn't long before Mom again tested positive for crack cocaine. Stacy and Kelly recommended that the children be permanently removed from her home.  They then found family members to care for all four siblings.

 

Through three years of upheaval and transition -- consisting of multiple attorneys, CPS caseworkers, foster homes and therapy sessions -- Stacy and Kelly were the only constant presence in the children's lives. Every time they moved, Stacy and Kelly were there to help them enroll in a new school and ensure that their needs were met, such as making sure they received therapy crucial to their healing.

 

Today, the two oldest children are living with their grandmother while the younger siblings live with an aunt who lives nearby. They get to see each other often and remain connected as a family. The families keep in touch with their CASA volunteers who frequently receive photos and email updates about the children's new lives.  

AWARD DINNER SUPPORTERS ARE CHAMPIONS OF CHILDREN
Honorees Trevor and Jan Rees-Jones with Event Chairs Robin and Bill Smith at the Champion of Children Award Dinner.
Sponsors and underwriters contributed more than $435,000 to the 2013 Champion of Children Award Dinner to help abused and neglected children.
 

 

Because of the commitment of Event Co-Chairs Robin and Bill Smith and Underwriting Committee members Greg May, Scott Orr, Mark  Berg, Christie Carter and Linda Swartz, more than 450 attended the 16th annual event, which honors a community leader for significantly improving the lives of children. This year's honorees were Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones.  The funds raised from the event support the recruitment and training of Dallas CASA volunteer advocates.

 

Dallas CASA is grateful to the following for their generosity and support of abused children in our community and the committed volunteers who serve them:

 

Honorary Chair-The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison

 

Presenting-AT&T

 

Platinum-Exxon Mobil Corporation; Glazer's, Inc., Bennett and Marion Glazer, Barbara and Shelly Stein and Linda and Rob Swartz; Pioneer Natural Resources, Kimberley and Scott Sheffield and Fran and Mark S. Berg

 

Crystal-Ericsson; Jim and Angela Thompson Foundation; J.P. Morgan; ORIX Foundation and Hannah and Greg May

Gold-Alcatel-Lucent USA; Capps Van & Truck Rental; Cisco; Citi; Goodman Networks; Jackson Walker L.L.P. and Kathleen and Michael LaValle; JCPenney; Locke Lord LLP; Paula and Scott Orr; Kay and Bob Schleckser; Robin and Bill Smith; Thompson & Knight Foundation

 

Silver-Accenture; Allegiance Title; Aston Martin of Dallas; Mary and Jack Balagia, Darcie Bundy and Ken Cohen, Karen and Charles Matthews, Margaret and Jaime Spellings; Emy Lou and Jerry Baldridge; Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP; Haynes and Boone, LLP; The Hirsch Family Foundation; MasTec Network Solutions; Karl Nelson, Gibson Dunn; Stephen B. L. Penrose, Ph.D.; Helen and Frank Risch; Glenda and Monty Ross; Trinity Industries, Inc.

 

Bronze-Deborah Ackerman; Diane and Hal Brierley; Children's Medical Center Dallas; Debra Gertz and Susan Spalter; The Hoglund Foundation; Houlihan Lokey; Juniper Networks; Aubrey and John Lebanowski; Becky and Jim Lozier; Joan and Terry Oxford; Wilemia Shaw; Nancy and Rex J. Spivey; Amy Titus; Total Wine and June and David Trone; Wells Fargo Legal Specialty Group

 

Special Thanks-Fran Berg; Best Press; Garden Gate Floral Design; Glazer's, Inc.; Chris Kelley; Kathleen LaValle; Angela Morgan and The Culinary Team of the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas; Ridgeway Mailing; TycherStein LLC; Karen Waller and Dini Partners; Tricia and Mike Wortley  

 

CONGRATULATIONS NEW VOLUNTEERS!


The most recent class of Dallas CASA volunteers were sworn in by the Hon. William A. Mazur.

CASA volunteer may be the only friend and constant for abused children during the most frightening time in their young lives. 

    

Today, three out of five abused children in Dallas County are waiting to have CASA volunteers to speak for them. Thanks to the following, more children will have a voice in court. Congratulations to all our new volunteers!      

  

Ashley Allen Sydney Allen Amanda Baker Janet Barter Jana Brosin Elsy Camacho Wanda Chapman Angela Chambers Carla Clayton Julie Crofts Diane Ensminger Rebecca Fabyan Linda Farell Rose Fitzgerald Ursula Goodson Sheila Holmes Juanita Keller Alison Kraft Brandi Kriegshauser Jinna Lancourt Cindy Lawrence Nancy Lontos Susan Lowe Jennifer MacLean Bill Maddox Sheridan May Linda Nichols Coco Nix Janet Obadiah Kathy O'Hara Beth Oishi Leslie Parsons Ann Parchem Linda Pocta Carol Porter Kate Power Susan Regan Gloria Rush Marilyn Rutner Ana Sanchez-Navarro Kirsten Sandfort Bernadette Shepherd Ali Silva Jane Smith Lynda Smith Olga Smith Caitlin Twyman Virgina Urban Jamie Vance Karen Wallace Sally Wolfish Oscar Zevallos

SPONSOR HIGHLIGHTS: VOICES IN THE COMMUNITY
Without generous community supporters, abused and neglected children in Dallas would go without compassionate volunteer advocates. 

  

Community partnerships are critical to ensuring that children are safe from further harm and have the help they need to heal from their abuse. These are some of the ways our corporate partners are supporting abused and neglected children:

  • Bank of Americais investing and giving in communities like Dallas in order to create positive change. Dallas CASA received a grant for $15,000 from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to help teens aging out of protective care. CASA volunteer advocates assist teens with the overwhelming experience of leaving foster care by helping the youth learn how to access resources and services that will help them move to living independently.      
  • After being connected to Dallas CASA by volunteer advocate and Children's Council member, Talynn Otsuki and Parmenter Realty Partners, employees of VHA created hundreds of toiletry bags for teenagers living in residential treatment centers across the state.  The bags will be distributed to the teens during the holiday season and throughout the year. In addition, VHA employees compiled 80 goody bags for children and families completing adoptions on National Adoption Day. The employees also attended a lunch-and-learn session to hear more about the need for CASA volunteer advocates.     
  • Established in 1952, the Kimberly-Clark Foundation mission of charitable giving is based on its promise to be a good employer, a good neighbor, and to support causes that improve the lives of families. To that end, the Kimberly-Clark Foundation provided a grant of $10,000 to help fund the recruitment, training and supervision of CASA volunteers.     
  • Maverick Capital Foundation, the charitable giving arm of the investment advising firm in Dallas, believes strongly in investing in its home community. The foundation provided a $30,000 grant to support Dallas CASA's recruitment and training program for volunteers.
We're deeply grateful to all our corporate friends for supporting our community's most vulnerable children. 
NEW VOLUNTEER TRAINING

Dallas CASA is accepting applications for our January and February volunteer training sessions. The first step toward becoming a CASA volunteer is attending a new volunteer information session. 

 

Upcoming Info Sessions:

 

December 5, 6-7:00 p.m.  

December 6, 12-1:00 p.m.

 

Register online.  

VOLUNTEER HOURS

27,400 volunteer hours advocating for children in court so far in 2013!

 

Submit volunteer hours using Optima.

ABOUT DALLAS CASA

When kids can't speak for themselves, CASA can.  

 

Dallas CASA is a nonprofit organization of community volunteers who serve as voices in court for abused and neglected children. CASA volunteers are trained and supervised to advocate for the best interests of abused children in protective care and to make recommendations that help judges decide what is best for each child. A CASA volunteer is often the one constant during a frightening, uncertain time in a child's life.

Sadly, Dallas CASA serves less than half of the children who need a voice in court and in the community. You can help. A child is waiting for your voice.

To learn more about helping abused children, please visit dallascasa.org.

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