C-mail,
your CASA connection
May, 2010
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-- Joseph Campbell
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Albany Volunteers Sworn in May was a month of unpredictable weather but in the CASA world, it was a most satisfying time of year. May provided me the opportunity to attend my first swearing in of new CASA volunteers in Albany. It was wonderful to be a part of their special day because I trained with that class and knew them personally. What a great glimpse of who is a CASA. One young woman works at a law firm and has five boys of her own; one woman was raised in a foster home and wants to give back; one woman is a retired administrator who worked in child care centers; and one woman is a teacher who once worked in inner city schools in Albany. All understanding the importance and need for the work of CASA. All believing with all their hearts that we can make a difference. We thank the three Albany Family Court Judges who gave their time to make this a very special day for our volunteers."
Pictured from left to right: Kathy McGowan (Coordinator), Jane Grimes, Judge Maney, Meg Meehan, Lisa Graves, Judge Walsh, Shelly Liebenow, Peg Knox, Judge Duggan, Pat Ryan.
Penny
CASANYS is thrilled to have three exceptional interns working for us this summer. Below is a brief introduction to each of our interns.
My name is Karen Neville
and I will be entering my senior year at the College of Saint Rose in
the fall. My major is Psychology, and my concentration is
Industrial/Organizational. Currently, I am updating the
Board of Directors Orientation Manual and working to help set up events
to help familiarize more people with CASA. I have always liked to help
people in need because it gives me a great sense of accomplishment, and
I can relate to some of the things that these children go through.
Even though I do not work directly with the CASA children,
through these projects I am able gain a sense of accomplishment.
The Orientation Manual I am working on allows our volunteers
to learn what they need to know
in order to best represent each child and their needs. When I am not
working, I like to play sports, listen to music, and read. I am very
excited to be joining the CASANYS team, and thankful for being given
the opportunity to help advocate for these children.
My name is Ben Otis and I am currently enrolled at Sage College of Albany and will be entering my senior year in the fall with business administration as my major. Since being adopted as a baby from Paraguay, I have always felt the desire to help others out in any way possible. Having worked with children in the past, I was interested in interning at
a child-focused organization such as CASANYS. Since becoming a member of the CASANYS team, I have already started to make a difference in children’s lives. I am currently working on increasing awareness of CASA by going out into the community, making phone calls and drafting emails for potential visits to various organizations. Because I enjoy challenges and new opportunities, I believe this position will help me develop into a better person both at home and at work. When I am not at work, I like to be outdoors playing sports or riding my bike. I am very excited to be working and gaining valuable experience while advocating for those who sometimes just need a voice.
Danielle Every - I am an ambitious student, currently attending The College of Saint Rose. My curricular goal is to obtain my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and apply my skills to help restructure businesses worldwide. This summer, I am managing a team that will be putting together a fundraiser for CASANYS. In order to keep everyone on the same page, I have created a Wiki page in which everyone involved can thread their ideas directly onto the page. I will be training those working on the Wiki page, and be in constant contact with everyone about the fundraiser. During my internship, I am hoping to get a sense of working in an office atmosphere since specializing organizational change is my career goal. When I want to relax, I find myself either in the park with my friends playing Frisbee, or hiking an unconquered summit. I am thrilled to be interning for an organization that works toward finding safe and permanent homes for children in need.
Genesee County CASA for Children
Recently Tara Pariso was officially named as the Executive Director of Genesee County CASA for Children by the board of directors. Tara is happy to have found such a wonderful organization that she can be affiliated with. She is looking forward to increasing the number of volunteers for Genesee County CASA and collaborating with other agencies to raise awareness as to what services are available within their community. Pictured right: Tara, her daughter Brooklynn (age 6), and son Shane (age 4). The little person in the far left corner is her nephew Connor.
CASA of Westchester CountyMonica Gray (pictured, left), a long time advocate for CASA of Westchester County, was recently honored by the Volunteer Center of the United Way and received the Social Justice Award. This award was given to her for her commitment to a 10 year old child who has been mostly hospitalized and institutionalized for the past 5 years. Below is an excerpt from Monica Gray's acceptance speech.
I
started out five years ago feeling unnerved by what seemed to be at
stake sometimes. The vulnerability of children and their families in
navigating their way through difficult situations made me feel utterly
unqualified, and also frightened about making a mistake, not knowing
enough, or getting facts wrong.
The responsibilities are
two-fold, equally important. There is the child , and the
"case." Advocating for the child means talking to family,
doctors, law guardians, foster moms, teachers, therapists. It has
involved hospital visits, making CDs , playing Uno, reassurances,
bringing treats, being a friend. That's the child.Administering the case means 10 loose-leaf binders stuffed over 5 years with court reports, medical reports, psych evals, DSS meeting notes, notes of all conversations and visits, hundreds (thousands?) of e-mails asking for updates or providing updates. You get to be an information gatherer, reporter, and provider--a link to the branches that affect the child's story.
CASA of Westchester County Volunteers Sworn in
CASA of Westchester County also reports that on May 6th eighteen new volunteers were sworn in by Honorable Judge Kathie Davidson bringing the total number of Westchester County CASA volunteers to 90! Below is a picture of the new CASA volunteers.
Front row: Benita Marks (Supervisor), Carol Friend, Judith Stein Coleman, Sandy Klein, Michelle Lipp, Linda
Cunningham, Alissa Hackman, Ann Kantor, Constance Mogull, Renee Young, Judge Kathie Davidson.
Back row: Rosetta Geber (Supervisor), Jackie Boissonnault (Director), Lisa Goldberg, Holly Fogler, Maureen
Johnson, Quaneisha Wilson, Christy Lang, Lucrecia Cea, Barbara Morgen (Supervisor), Temycka Carpenter,
Delores Thomas, Shirley Caccioppoli.
Cunningham, Alissa Hackman, Ann Kantor, Constance Mogull, Renee Young, Judge Kathie Davidson.
Back row: Rosetta Geber (Supervisor), Jackie Boissonnault (Director), Lisa Goldberg, Holly Fogler, Maureen
Johnson, Quaneisha Wilson, Christy Lang, Lucrecia Cea, Barbara Morgen (Supervisor), Temycka Carpenter,
Delores Thomas, Shirley Caccioppoli.
Sullivan County CASA, Inc.
Sullivan County CASA reports that three volunteers were recently sworn in by Honorable Mark Meddaugh.
Pictured left to right: Kelly Malara, Orli Saltzman, Debbie Larsen and Honorable Mark Meddaugh
Wednesday, June 2, 2010, 1:00 p.m. (EST) - Webinar #1
Pennsylvania CASA/National CASA Training of Facilitator Online Learning Experience /
Theme: Developing a learning environment
More information and registration.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., New York State Office of Court Administration Offices, 98 Niver Street, Cohoes, NY
CASA Program Directors’ Spring 2010 Meeting
Wednesday, June 9, 2010, 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., Century House, Route 9, Latham, NY
CASA Program Directors’ Spring 2010 Meeting
Saturday, June 19 and Sunday, June 20, 2010, Central PA College Conference Center, 599 Valley Road, Summerdale, PA 17093
National CASA’s Training of the Facilitator / Hosted by the Pennsylvania CASA Association
The National CASA Association is glad to partner with Pennsylvania CASA to offer the Training of Facilitators course. More information and registration.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010, 11:00 a.m. (EST) - Webinar #2
Pennsylvania CASA/National CASA Training of Facilitator Online Learning Experience / Theme: Effective training requires follow- through
More information and registration.
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.
Some Spring Activities: For Younger Children:
- Craft Project: Complete instructions for a couple of Spring craft projects.
- Activity Pages: Bingo and Matching Activities.
- Spring Coloring Pages
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The information contained in Direct From Albany is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by CASA: Advocates for Children of New York State. This communication, including any attachments, may contain privileged and/or confidential information or knowledge that is otherwise protected from disclosure. It is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity addressed above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are strictly prohibited from any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication. If you received this communication in error, please contact the sender immediately and destroy the material in its entirety. Thank you for your cooperation.
The information contained in Direct From Albany is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by CASA: Advocates for Children of New York State. This communication, including any attachments, may contain privileged and/or confidential information or knowledge that is otherwise protected from disclosure. It is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity addressed above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are strictly prohibited from any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication. If you received this communication in error, please contact the sender immediately and destroy the material in its entirety. Thank you for your cooperation.
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