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Suite 201
Williamsburg, VA 23185
(757) 229-3306
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The Voice |
| Colonial CASA's E-Newsletter
Volume II, Issue 13
January, 2007
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| From the Colonial CASA Staff, we hope that you and your loved ones had a wonderful holiday season. We are looking forward to 2007 and, personally, I think 2007 has a nice ring to it!
As we launch into the New Year with exciting and endless possibilities on the horizon, I always wonder what the world looked like a century ago...Did you know that in 1907, Katharine Hepburn was born, Oklahoma became the 46th state, and the Second Hague Peace Conference was held? I cannot wait to see what 2007 will bring!
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In This Issue... |
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Pencil It In... |
 Jan. 15: Office Closed, Martin Luther King Day
- Jan. 24: Continuing Education Opportunity, See Below
- Feb. 5: Continuing Education Opportunity, See Below
- Feb. 12: Monthly Meeting, 11:30 am
- Feb. 19: Office Closed, President's Day
To Access Colonial CASA's Calendar, Click Here.
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From Rebecca's Desk |
Greetings from upstairs! Happy New Year to you all – I hope your holidays were filled with family, friends and good cheer. I was very happy to see so many of you at the CASA holiday party at the Stockton’s. Our thanks go out to them for their gracious hospitality at their beautiful home.
As I reflect on the past month, I am truly overcome with gratitude and wonder at the incredible generosity we witnessed here in the office. On a daily basis, staff saw CASAs and other supporters coming and going, providing and delivering gifts for children, shopping for CASA family holiday meals, and coordinating the efforts of their own friends to provide a wonderful Holiday for every CASA child. It was an extension of the CASA “job” that I, being still new to this program, had yet to witness, and I was truly humbled and in awe. The job of a CASA is intense, time consuming, and draining. To see the extra lengths these same people go to, to provide even greater gifts, is astounding. My thanks and applause to you all.
Spring is approaching (did we have winter?) and the office is abuzz with fresh ideas, plans and activities. Spring training dates have been set and plans are in the works for April – a time to honor and recognize our fantastic volunteers. More on that to come...As always, stop in anytime to visit!
~Rebecca
To Learn More About Rebecca Bresee, Executive Director, Click Here.
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Recognizing Dawn Gates' 11 Years of Child Advocacy |
 When I tell folks that I have worked with Colonial CASA for over 10 years, they seem so amazed. I am so fortunate to have a job that I love and to have worked with such incredible people – angels, really. But what is truly remarkable is that CASA, Dawn Gates, has been with the program for 11 years! Dawn was the first advocate I met when I became Volunteer Coordinator in August 1996. At that time, Beth Adams was the Executive Director and she was a one woman show, running the office by herself. She ran the program, wrote the grants, did the fundraising, supervised all of the volunteers, and provided training. And she did it all from the basement of the court house. Can you even imagine? I remember being somewhat intimidated about filling Beth’s shoes in the areas of case supervision, in particular. In comes Dawn Gates, who was most gracious and welcoming and helped to allay some of my fears.
Dawn participated in the New Volunteer Training in the fall of 1995. Since that time, she has served 21 families with a total of 25 children. It boggles the mind, doesn’t it? She is compassionate, selfless, determined, reliable, professional, and ready for a challenge. Although she has certainly experienced her share of frustrations and had a few bumps in the road, she is always standing in the wings, prepared to take a new case. Social workers and G.A.L.s are thrilled to learn that Dawn is the CASA on their cases because she brings with her such a strong knowledge base and a wealth of experience. And the children to whom she has been appointed have been blessed with an advocate whose kindness, strength, and tenacity has ensured that they would have safe and permanent homes and, sometimes, a friend for life. One of her first cases involved a 15-year-old girl, who is now 25 years old with children of her own. She continues to call Dawn for direction and guidance. What a positive impact Dawn had on her life and on the lives of the other children for whom she has advocated.
The staff and I want to give our thanks to Dawn for her commitment and dedication to Colonial CASA and the children of this community who needed her voice, which she gave, loud and clear.
~Sarah
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MSNBC Unveils Documentary, "No Place for a Child" |
Recently, MSNBC aired a documentary focusing on the Child Welfare System. Karen Grau is the President of Calamari Productions and she spent 7 years documenting what our CASA volunteers have come to know can be a difficult and trying piece of the judicial puzzle. This article focuses on the documentary that took 7 years to create and it presents a summary of the film, as well as links to reading a full article and watching excerpts.
"The child welfare system in America is by law, closed to the media and the public. It's a system often criticized as 'no place for a child,' but in many cases, it's the only place. In an unprecedented ruling by the Indiana Supreme Court, Calamari Productions Executive Producer / Director Karen Grau goes where cameras are forbidden to go and tracks five children through their painful ordeal in this unseen world, in the 2-hour MSNBC documentary, "No Place for a Child." The documentary, seven years in the making, illuminates all facets of the child welfare system to better understand its long-term effects on kids and their families. From the poignant courtroom dramas to the heart-wrenching placements in foster care and detention centers, our cameras follow these kids, searching for the answer to the vital question: has the child welfare system done what's best?"
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Colonial CASA And the WCHF: Partners in the Age of Technology |
 Colonial CASA will soon enter a world of techno- sophistication that has, until now, been an idea of pure speculation and impossibility! The Williamsburg Community Health Foundation has, through their Technology Grants program, awarded Colonial CASA with nearly $19,000 to be used to replace our aging server, computers and telecommunications system. We are soon to be all “grown up”!
Duke Communications has already installed our new telecommunications system. They ran wires, installed new ports, and upgraded the system with new equipment and features such as designated staff voice mails, inter-office intercom, and caller ID. VERY shortly (and possibly by the time of this e- publication) our friends at JK Technologies will install a new – huge – server, new computer equipment, and an additional workstation for volunteer use.
Colonial CASA wishes to acknowledge the incredible support that WCHF has afforded the Agency both in the past and with this technology grant. We truly value our partnership as we work toward the collective goal of health and safety for all children. To learn more about the Williamsburg Community Health Foundation, its mission and its goals, please click on the web- site link provided.
To Visit the Williamsburg Community Health Foundation's Website, Click Here.
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Medication Access for the Uninsured in Williamsburg |
 CASA volunteers often work with families who, for a variety of reasons, are uninsured. As such, services for the families, and often for the children, can be delayed. The Department of Social Services is responsible for numerous families, cases, and overseeing the distribution of services. Often, CASAs can help in this endeavor by collaborating with DSS or suggesting additional services to the family. One such service includes better access to medications:
Chronically ill, uninsured residents of the Greater Williamsburg area will now have access to many of the medications they need, thanks to a partnership of Williamsburg Community Health Foundation (WCHF) and the Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF). With funding from WCHF and program coordination by the VHCF, $312,177 has been awarded to six non-profit organizations to initiate the Greater Williamsburg Medication Access Program in seven locations.
The organizations participating in the Greater Williamsburg Medication Access Program will utilize The Pharmacy Connection software to help eligible, uninsured individuals apply for free medications from the nation’s brand name pharmaceutical companies. The Pharmacy Connection (TPC) is a VHCF- developed software unique to Virginia, which facilitates access to free medications from 158 patient assistance programs administered by the nation’s pharmaceutical manufacturers.
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Program Update: Continuing Education Opportunities |
 1. If you have seen the film, The Pursuit of Happiness, which is based on a true story, I am sure you are familiar with many of the child welfare issues that are present in the film. Colonial CASA is offering its CASA volunteers the opportunity to write a summary about the movie and the present child welfare issues as it pertains to their CASA work for In-Service Credit. To take advantage of this opportunity, you must submit your summary to Barbara McElroy, Program Specialist, by February 15th.
2. Richmond CASA and the Richmond Department of Social Services are presenting an In-Service Training Opportunity, Family Drug Treatment Court on Wednesday January 24th at 2:00 pm. The training will be held at the Fountain Plaza Two Building, 700 Town Center Drive in Newport News, 23605. To RSVP, please contact the Newport News Volunteer Training Coordinator, Amia Barrows at 757- 926-8791.
3. Investigating Child Abuse is a one-day training program offered in Virginia Beach on February 5th for professionals who handle child maltreatment cases in Virginia, which includes CASAs. The guest speaker is Lieutenant Richard L. Cage, a retired police officer from the state of Maryland who specialized in Child Abuse cases. The program is free. To register or get additional information, click here.
Remember, knowledge is power! If you have any questions about the opportunities mentioned here, please contact Barbara at 757-229-3306.
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Colonial CASA's Wishlist |
Colonial CASA would like to thank all of the individuals who have donated items from our wish list. Thanks to your continued support of our mission, we are able to continue moving in a progressive direction! For instance, with the recent donation of a digital camera, hopefully you will see more recent and up-to- date photos of the Colonial CASA activities!
If we cross our fingers and close our eyes really tight, these are the items currently on our wish list:
- a step ladder
- an adding machine/calculator that runs tape
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