C-mail,
your CASA connection
June, 2009
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by Don Finelli
I would like to thank many of you for the e-mails welcoming me to the
organization over the past few weeks. I am excited and pleased to
become part of the CASA team. I had been researching for a place to
move my energies to since retiring from the field of education. I have
always enjoyed and been challenged by the advocacy role for
children. CASANYS offers me the place to combine my talents and
passions towards the good for children. Since starting, I am busy here in Albany reading as much as possible to further acquaint myself with the organization and how it operates. Reading the literature is a good start, but what I would really like to do is get into the field to meet, listen and discover how I can assist you in our very important mission of serving children.
For the past 30 years, my career path has been in education as a teacher, trainer and administrator; most of the years were in the area of special education. In the role of Committee on Special Education Chairperson (CSE) and Committee on Pre-school Special Education (CPSE), the hats I wore were that of an advocate, mediator and negotiator; I found these to be the keys to success for children. I look forward to continuing these roles and skills as a CASA team member.
Again, it is my plan to make contact with all the programs within a short period, to start to connect with each office, and learn how I might assist you in the important roles you play. Please feel free to contact me at finelli@casanys.org. I do look forward to meeting and conversing with you to advance our mission and do good things for KIDS.
by Robin Robinson
Each year the National CASA Association surveys the local CASA programs to gather data regarding program demographics, volunteers, children served, staff, boards, and other important information. CASANYS then compiles the responses of local CASA programs in New York State and creates an Annual Local Program Profile. Click here for a printable PDF version of the of the 2008 Local CASA Program Profile for your usage.
As the CASA programs continue to navigate through the challenges of non-profit management, it is important to note that there has been a consistent increase in the number of active volunteers and new volunteers trained each year. In 2008, there was a 12% increase in the number of trained volunteers. This allowed for the programs to receive additional case assignments and the volunteers to assist more children. The CASA volunteers donated a total of 103,757 hours in 2008, which was 2689 more hours than the previous year.
There was also a noticeable rise in the diversity of volunteers, staff, and board members. The programs efforts to become more reflective of the culture and ethnicity of the children served appears evident.
CASANYS would like to express deep appreciation to the local CASA program staff, boards, and especially volunteers for their hard work and dedication in serving the 3,743 children across New York State. Your efforts are highly valued and greatly needed!
CASA - A Program of Boys & Girls Clubs of BuffaloOn Thursday, May 28, 2009 CASA - A Program of Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo had a swearing in for 11 new volunteers . The Honorable Patricia A. Maxwell swore in Gigi Atkins-Tyson, Sharon Bayse, Marlene Castiglia, Jeanette Davis, Allison DeHonney, Holly Hutchings, Heather Kuhn, Colleen Mantione, Danny McLaughlin, Rebecca Reardon, and Debora Whiting (see picture, right). The staff at CASA Erie County is looking forward to a rewarding working relationship with
all the new volunteers. The children of Erie County will benefit greatly from having such a dedicated group of volunteers looking after their best interest.
Oneida and Herkimer County CASA
Recently Oneida and Herkimer County CASA hired a new CASA Program Coordinator. Ashley Ritter, a graduate of SUNYIT with a degree in Psychology, will be working part-time at the CASA of Oneida and Herkimer Counties. Ashley was previously an intern with the parent agency the Peacemaker Program. They are excited to have her again as part of their team.
CASA of Westchester County
In early June, Westchester County CASA swore in a new group of 15 volunteers. This will bring the total number of volunteers for their program for the year to 84. This is the most volunteers they have ever had.
CASA of Jefferson County
The Jefferson County CASA program recently worked with National CASA on a website specific to their local “Safe at Home” event, partnering with the Watertown Wizards Baseball Team and the Forgotten Children Campaign. Here is the link to the website: http://safeathome.kintera.org . The company that created the software for the website is Blackbaud. They have an offer for non-profits to set up a fundraising site that links to Paypal. There is no charge for web hosting fees. However, they take a small percentage of every transaction. Here is the link to their website: http://bbnow.com.
CASA Volunteer Trainings
July 15, 16, 17 and 18 from 9 to 5 and July 21, 2009 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Oneida and Herkimer County CASA Volunteer Training. The training will be held at the Peacemaker Program office 270 Genessee Street, Utica, NY. For more information contact Katie Montague at 315-724-1718, ext. 103 or via email at katie@thepeacemakerprogram.org .
Other Trainings and Events
Wednesday, July 8, 12:15 to 1:45 p.m. EDT (11:15 a.m. CDT, 9:15 a.m. PDT), Thursday, July 23, 12:15 to 1:45 p.m. EDT (11:15 a.m. CDT, 9:15 a.m. PDT) - Webinar Series
Getting Your Student Loans Forgiven: How government and nonprofit employees can earn
public service loan forgiveness. A must attend for anyone with high student debt, working for the government or a nonprofit. This free webinar explains how you can benefit from the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, the most significant law affecting public service in a generation. More information and registration.
July 9, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Developing Entrepreneurial Ventures. Presented by the New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc. Sponsored in part by New York State Council on the Arts. The event will be held at New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc. Albany Office, 272 Broadway, Albany, NY. The cost is free. More information and registration.
Friday, July 24, 2009, 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Human Resource Issues for Nonprofit Board Members Presented by David Watson, Esq. Sr. VP, Legal Accountability & Compliance. This seminar addresses Human Resource Issues for Nonprofit Boards highlighting the importance of understanding the role of the board as an employer and its relationship with employees. The seminar will be hedl at 272 North Bedford Road Mount Kisco NY 10549. More information andregistration.
Let CASANYS know when your next Volunteer Training is to begin as well as any In-Service opportunities you would like to share with other programs, so that we can list them in next month's newsletter.
by Don Finelli
Did
you know that Governor Paterson has created a statewide agency to
recruit volunteers for organizations in the state? New Yorkers Volunteer has created an excellent website that Non for Profits can use to recruit volunteers. The website is www.newyorksvolunteer.ny.gov. When you open the website you will find information that will enable you to register and allow volunteers to research and get in touch with you about your program.
As of the beginning of June, seven of the local CASA programs are registered and currently are on the website. This appears to be a good resource, so please take a look. Also, I wouldn't doubt that New Yorkers Volunteer will be receiving more press attention in the future. Why not include 100% of the CASA programs? Good luck with your volunteer search!
If you are currently on the site and have some success, please e-mail me at finelli@nyscasa.org. I will include this information in future issues of Direct From Albany.
Hint: When you register the organizations are in alphabetical order, CASA appears on the first few pages good for us and getting inquiries.
CASANYS staff is currently testing the waters on the use of a wiggio site for group communication and collaboration. This appears to be comparable to a wiki site, an online community space that would allow you to interact with your fellow program directors around the state more effectively over the web. Below is some more information on wiggio.
Excerpt taken from http://www.wiggio.com/ website.
What is Wiggio?
Wiggio is the simplest way to work in groups. The application makes it easy for groups of any size or purpose to communicate and collaborate without the common frustrations involved with group work. Oh, and it's entirely FREE!
What can my group do on Wiggio?
Wiggio gives groups all the necessary functionality they need, in one-place, and simple enough that anyone can use it. These tools include:
- Messages - send mass text messages, voice messages and emails to your group
- Calendar - keep a shared group calendar that can send you text message or email reminders before all your meetings, practices, rehearsals, games and other events
- Poll - survey your entire group and get their responses back as they answer
- Folder - store all your groups' files in a central folder and edit them in real-time
- Meetings - never walk 15 minutes through the snow to get to a 10 minute meeting again ... setup free conference calls and web chats on Wiggio
- Links - keep a shared favorites folder of group links and resources
- Email - send an email to your groups' email address, and it gets distributed to all group members
The W.I.G. stands for "working in groups". The G.I.O. is just to make it catchy.
How do you pronounce Wiggio?
It's meant to be wig-ee-oh (like the hair "wig"). We've also heard widg-jee-oh (like "widget") ... take your pick!
What does Wiggio cost?
Nothing. Wiggio is completely FREE. There are no add-ons or premium features.
What types of groups can use Wiggio?
Any type of group can use Wiggio. There are groups from 3 to 500 people on Wiggio --- some people even have "personal" groups just for themselves. Groups using Wiggio range from academic project groups to non-profit orgs, sports teams, musical groups, social groups, families, roommates, small businesses, religious groups and more.
Wiggio was made for the person who doesn't want to "learn" a new program - it's intuitive and very simple to use. Also, you don't have to nag your staff, volunteers or committee members to sign up - once you create a group and add the members, you can start communicating with your group right away (without the need for all the group members to sign up).
We offer here some activities for children of different ages. Volunteers are encouraged to print them out and put them in their CASA bags to take along when they visit the children. We are eager for feedback and welcome any suggestions for additional activities. Please e-mail us at newsletter@casanys.org.
Some Summer Activities
For Younger Children:
- Craft Project: Complete instructions for a simple and original Summer craft project.
- Activity Page: Handy Manny Helpful Page.
- Coloring Pages: Butterfly and Fourth of July coloring worksheets.
This section of Direct From Albany focuses on words or grammar that might be useful in writing court reports.
continuance / continuation
Both of these words mean “the act or fact of continuing,” but only continuance is used to refer to the duration of a state or condition, as in his continuance in office. Continuation applies especially to prolongation or resumption of action (a continuation of the meeting) or to physical extension (the continuation of the street). The continuation of a story is that part of the story following a break in its narration.
Fireflies
Billy, and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."
Author unknown