Hi *{{Informal Name}}*,

I hope this letter finds you well! We are on the back end of summer break, and while I go to work in July just like I do in October, my kids are living their best summer life. So many great childhood memories are made in those open spaces of time between May and August. The world is their oyster from sun up to sun down.

For children and youth in unsafe homes, summer break isn't filled with carefree days. They miss the structure and safety that school provides. For children in foster care, they often lose something that feels steady and reliable, too. CASA volunteers play such an important role in the lives of children in foster care, not only because of the advocacy they provide, but also in their year-round consistency. No matter what time of year it is, foster youth know their CASA volunteer will show up and spend time with them. Visit by visit, CASA volunteers help redeem some of what feels lost for them during summer break. Showing up matters.

Whether you are just getting to know us, have been a long time donor, or you volunteer, know we are so thankful for you! Together, we are giving more children in foster care advocacy and consistency 12 months a year. Thank you for being a friend of CASA!

Sincerely,

Angela Carson

Development and Marketing Manager

Heart of Missouri CASA

Columbia Farmer's Market Brings Awareness

Last weekend, Tina and Sara got to spread the word about CASA at the Columbia Farmer's Market. The weather was perfect and they met so many new people! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello. Everyone who signed up for our newsletter got one of our amazing insulated shopping bags for free!

Home Sweet Home

CASA Kami has advocated for 4 boys over the last year and a half. She has built a strong relationship with the boys and their grandmother as they played and chatted over pizza twice a month over the last year. Last month, the team celebrated when the case closed in guardianship with their grandmother. It will be a great place for the boys to continue to grow and thrive in the years ahead. Kami knew the boys were in need of beds, so she had something special planned for them after the case closed. She had two sets of bunkbeds donated and delivered to their grandma's house one day. When the beds arrived, she went over and got them all set up. They were so excited to have their own beds! Four sweet little boys can now lay their heads down at night and know they are truly HOME.

Volunteer Training Is Underway

We have an awesome group of volunteers in training! They are diving in and working hard so they can be the next group of powerful voices for children and youth in foster care. If you are curious about the process to become a CASA volunteer, please come to one of our upcoming info sessions!

Thank You For Voting

Heart of Missouri CASA finished in second place out of the five nonprofits who were selected to receive funds through Target Circle in June! Thanks to everyone who used their Target Circle votes to support CASA and helped us receive $1,924. We were blown away!

Join Our Next Volunteer Training

Are you ready to take the next step and become a CASA? Our next available class is set to begin on August 17th! For more information, call us at (573) 442-4670, email us at hello@homcasa.org, or register for one of our no-obligation information sessions.

08/17/2022: Training Kick-off 1:00 - 2:00pm
08/24/2022: Session 1: 1:00 - 4:00pm
08/31/2022: Session 2: 1:00 - 4:00pm
09/07/2022: Session 3: 1:00 - 4:00pm
09/14/2022: Session 4: 1:00 - 4:00pm
09/21/2022: Session 5: 1:00 - 4:00pm

Training is made up of 15 hours in-person and 15 hours online.

If you are ready to apply now, you can do so on our website!