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CASA of Central Texas advocates for abused and neglected children in the court system by recruiting, training and supporting community volunteers.
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Welcome to another edition of CASA Up Close Monthly. Please feel free to contact CASA for more information about anything you read. And, as always, thank you for your continued support.
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Letter from the Executive Director 
Go Blue in April! April is National Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month and agencies will promote the month with the color blue. What does it mean to "Go Blue" in April? For me, it is about not letting the issue of child abuse be ignored. It is a topic not talked about enough until it makes headlines when it involves tragedy. In April, I want the color blue to stand for something positive - communities showing that we will work together to protect our children.
Our local Counties and Cities will commit to the fight against child abuse by signing their own proclamations recognizing the month. I encourage anyone who can attend their local signing to do so. See the calendar below for dates and times of proclamations in your community.
As an individual, I ask you to think how you can recognize April as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. Wear the blue child abuse prevention bracelet, invite CASA to come speak to your church group, attend Family Court one morning to observe and understand how abuse is occurring in your own community, or talk to your children about being nice to the new kid in their class who has just joined them after being placed in a foster home because they were no longer safe in their own.
As a business owner, celebrate the month by asking your employees to wear blue on Fridays, announce the month on your marquee, invite a CASA representative to speak to your employees, or decorate your office with blue ribbons.
Although April brings child abuse to light, we need to remember that our children are being abused all months of the year. Our dedicated volunteers here at CASA recognize this and work year round to protect these children. It is fitting to me that this month we will also celebrate these great people during National Volunteer Week, April 12 - 18, and the children they serve will be recognized during Texas Crime Victims Week April 19 - 25.
This April, take a stand, speak your voice and Go Blue. Thank you,
Norma Castilla-Blackwell
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CASA in the Keys
Put on your tropical shirts and grass skirts as CASA of Central Texas "heads down Route 1 to the Islands." Join us as we celebrate three decades of advocating for abused and neglected children in Central Texas!
April 10, 2015
6:30 p.m.
Wurstfest Stelzenhaus
New Braunfels
Enjoy an Island Keys-themed evening of fun and entertainment, including dinner, live music by Texas Tides, silent and live auctions, and interactive games with prizes including his and hers Tag Heuer watches, an Americus Diamond necklace and James Avery jewelry.
Auctions will include a registered chocolate male Labrador puppy, a trip to Key West, a Buddy 50 Scooter, scuba diving lessons, Whataburger for a year, wine tasting for ten and more!
Thank you to our sponsors!
Airforce Turbine Service
Archie and Donna Dishman
Kasha Corp
Mariposa at Hunter Road Apartments
Tomblin Family Foundation (2)
Board Member Kathy Dial
Children's Dental Ark
CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System
Germer Farms
Miller & Miller Insurance/
State Representative Doug Miller
Robin and David Pfeifer
Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union
Texas Lehigh Cement Co.
Whataburger
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Welcome New CASA Volunteers
Welcome to our newest CASA Volunteers, sworn in on March 6th. Pictured (l-r) are: Steve Bazan of Hays County, Renate Yanity of Hays County, Lillian Helms of Guadalupe County, Judge McClenahan, Mary McCown of Caldwell County, Raegan Owen of Hays County, Sylvia Hall of Guadalupe County and Susan James of Comal County.
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April Proclamation Schedule 
Local government officials will read proclamations throughout the month, officially recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. Community members are invited to attend these proclamations to show your support.
| 4/7 |
Lockhart |
6:30 pm |
217 S. Main St. 3rd fl. |
| 4/21 |
Martindale |
6 pm |
City Hall |
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| 3/31 |
Hays County |
9 am |
County Courthouse |
| 4/1 |
Kyle |
7 pm |
City Hall |
| 4/2 |
Wimberley |
6 pm |
City Hall |
| 4/7 |
San Marcos |
4 pm |
City Hall |
| 4/7 |
Buda |
6:30 pm |
City Hall |
| 4/14 |
Dripping Springs |
7 pm |
City Hall |
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| 4/2 |
Comal County |
8:30 am |
County Courthouse |
| 4/13 |
New Braunfels |
6 pm |
City Hall |
| 4/14 |
Bulverde |
6:30 pm |
City Hall |
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| 4/14 |
Guadalupe County |
10 am |
County Justice Center |
| 4/2 |
Seguin |
10:30 am |
City Hall |
| 4/7 |
Schertz |
6 pm |
City Hall |
| 4/14 |
Cibolo |
6:30 pm |
City Hall |
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Volunteer Voices
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| Kathleen Schindler, CASA of Central Texas Volunteer since 2013 |
"As a professional educator, I always put kids first; I wanted to continue doing that after I retired from teaching."
"Over and over, I witnessed how important it was for CASA to represent the voices of the children!"
"It is absolutely the most important thing you can do for a kid and the most rewarding thing you can do for yourself!"
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Become a CASA Volunteer
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| Calvin and Sonya Rodriguez, CASA of Central Texas Advocates since 2011. |
Upcoming Trainings:
Wednesdays
4:30 pm to 8:30 pm
May 6 thru June 3
San Marcos CASA office office
Thursdays
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
March 7 thru June 4
New Braunfels CASA office
Training sessions will also begin the following weeks:
Week of June 21 Week of August 9
Times and locations TBA To learn more about training sessions, contact Training Coordinator Debbie Haynes at 512-392-3578 or by email.
For more information on becoming a volunteer, click here. |
Speaking to the Senators
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CASA of Central Texas Bob Williams with State Senator Dr. Donna Campbell. Senator Campbell serves on the Health and Human Services Committee and represents two of our counties, Hays and Comal.
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Thank you to our CASA volunteer Bob Williams for traveling to Austin on March 25 to testify in front of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee. Bob used his experience as a CASA volunteer to speak in support of House Bill 1407, the Normalcy Bill. The bill aims to "encourage age-appropriate normalcy activities for children in the managing conservatorship of the state."
Bob testified about his former CASA teen:
"Senate Bill 1407 allows foster parents to make decisions for the foster child outside of the care plan, just like you or I make decisions for our 'normal' children. Under Senate Bill 1407 he would have been treated like a 'normal' teen, not a 'kid in the system'. He would have been playing ball, starting in his freshman year, just like our boys - yours and mine," he said. "He would have experienced the comradeship of being part of a team, the mentorship of a coach, the confidence of doing something well, and the admiration of his fellow students." See news coverage of the hearing here. |
Voices Tour Information Sessions
Want to learn more about the role of a CASA Volunteer? Come to our
one-hour information session and hear how our volunteers advocate for children who have been abused and neglected.
CASA staff and volunteers will be on hand to share their stories and answer your questions.
Voices Tours
New Braunfels
CASA office
First Wednesday of each month - Noon
San Marcos
CASA office
Second Wednesday of each month - Noon
Please RSVP to Eloise Hudson by email or at 830-626-2272.
Lunch provided by Fox's Pizza Den in New Braunfels and Chick-fil-A in San Marcos.
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Be a Part of Online Giving
Thank you to all our supporters who participated in this month's online donation event Amplify Austin! Thanks to the 75 donors who gave almost $5,600, we will be able to recruit, train and support more volunteers to advocate for local abused and neglected children.
If you missed Amplify Austin, don't worry, you have another chance to donate online through Big Give S.A. on May 5th.
The 2nd Annual Big Give San Antonio is an online giving day dedicated to raising funds and awareness for nonprofits throughout South Central Texas.
The Big Give San Antonio
May 5 midnight - May 6 midnight
Find and donate to CASA of Central Texas here:
https://www.thebiggivesa.org/#npo/casa-of-central-texas1
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Volunteer Continuing Education
Thank you to everyone who came out for our March Continuing Education class at River Bend Counseling in New Braunfels. Jay Jeter and his staff of professionals led small groups of CASA volunteers in comprehensive sessions discussing anger in children and adults, de-escalation techniques as well as the role of Youth for Tomorrow in the Foster Care System and how it affects our CASA children's level of care.
Join us for our next CE training on April 25th - Primary Aggressor and Strangulation presented by the San Marcos Police Department. Click here to learn more about this upcoming training.
We hope to see you there!
CASA of Central Texas volunteers are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education annually.
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CASA in the Community
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CASA Volunteers and Outreach Team Members Calvin Rodriguez, Melinda Rapp, Sonya Rodriguez and Mary Hodges host a CASA information table and activity at last year's New Braunfels Crawfish Festival.
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Community Events are a great way to recruit volunteers and get the word out about CASA. It is a chance to meet with people one-on-one and talk about the role of a CASA volunteer. If you know of a community event for CASA to participate in, please contact Eloise Hudson.
Upcoming Community Events
The CASA Community Outreach Team will participant in these community events. Stop by and say hi!
Saturday, April 4th
Schertz/Cibolo Lion's Club Easter Egg hunt info booth and games
Time: 8:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Location: Pickrell Park in Schertz Saturday, April 11th San Marcos Youthfest info booth and game Time: 10-4 p.m.
Location: San Marcos Plaza, San Marcos Saturday, April 25th New Braunfels Crawfish Festival info booth and game Time: All day
Location: County Fair grounds, New Braunfels Saturday, April 25th Public Health Fair info booth Time: Noon -3 p.m. Location: New Braunfels Public Library Saturday, May 2th Belk charity sale info booth Time: 6-10 a.m. Location: Belk department store, New Braunfels Saturday, May 2th Run for the Hills 5k info booth Time: 8-10 a.m.
Location: Bulverde Senior Center Saturday, May 9th Kops and Kids info booth Time: 11 am - 2 p.m.
Location: Landa Park, New Braunfels Saturday, May 16th Connections Family Fun Day info booth Time: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Location: Gruene Harley-Davidson New Braunfels Friday, May 22nd Chick-fil-A golf tournament benefiting CASA Time: Morning and afternoon Location: Quail Creek Country Club San Marcos |
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