Hi *{{Informal Name}}*,

According to the CDC's website, "Child abuse and neglect are common. At least 1 in 7 children have experienced child abuse or neglect in the past year in the United States. This is likely an underestimate because many cases are unreported. In 2020, 1,750 children died of abuse and neglect in the United States."

CASA volunteers are stepping up every day to be a powerful voice for children who are living with the devastating impact of abuse or neglect. Children need to know there is a caring adult in their corner all the time, especially when they're trying to heal from trauma. Here at CASA, we are striving every day to recruit, train, and support more community volunteers to be that advocate when they need it most.

Remember, the world is a safer place for children when we ALL do our part.

Volunteer. Give. Advocate.

All the best,

Angela Carson

Development and Marketing Manager

Heart of Missouri CASA

Keep reading to learn more about:

Remembering Trauma
A CASA Impact Moment
Callaway Goes Blue for CASA
CASA Day at the Capital
Teen Care Drive
Upcoming Training Dates

Movie Night in Fulton

Join us at the Playhouse in Fulton for a cinematic event with a cause! The event will be the perfect ending to a month full of awareness! The film, "Remembering Trauma", helps shed light on the impact of complex trauma on children and youth. The film will conclude with a speaker panel and Q & A for all attending. We hope to see you there!

Purchase tickets here

Impact Moment!

When Aubrey came into foster care as an infant she needed nurturing, as all babies do, but she also needed a lot of medical care. Between appointments, case meetings, and doctor visits, her little world was a puzzle that needed to be put together. When a child has major health issues, it takes a team of dedicated people to put the right pieces into place to make sure they receive the care they need. On top of Aubrey's challenging health issues, she also needed to find a safe, permanent, loving home.

Some might call it a miracle that the right people found their way into Aubrey's life; a precious life with so many puzzle pieces. It's truly remarkable! She had an amazing foster mom, 5 case workers during her case, and one amazing CASA named Katy.

Katy made sure that her best interest was never lost in the shuffle of an overburdened court system, and in the end, Katy advocated for Aubrey to find permanency with her foster family where she is so loved and cared for.

Aubrey's adoption day was a powerful reminder that when caring adults put a child's best interest first, the world is a kinder and safer place for them. A host of people showed up to celebrate, including Katy, her former caseworkers, and biological parents. Katy's advocacy helped make this day happen, and we want every child in foster care to have a CASA like her.

Last year there were 234 Callaway children in foster care, and more than 100 are still waiting for an advocate. This month, our goal is to raise $15,000 so we can train and support more volunteers to be a powerful voice for children when they need it most. Will you consider giving a gift of $50, $100, $500, or more to help us reach our goal? A gift of any size will help us serve more children right here in our community, and every $50 dollars will put a piece of our Callaway Goes Blue for CASA puzzle on the board. When we reach our goal, the puzzle will be complete and we will celebrate together! We hope you will join us.

DONATE!

CASA Day at the Capital

This month, Kelly Hill, Executive Director, and Katie Hernandez, MSW Intern, visited legislative representatives in Jefferson City as part of CASA at the Capitol Day: a statewide effort to bring awareness to the powerful advocacy of CASA programs in the state of Missouri. Thank you to Rep. Kathy Steinhoff, Rep. Jim Schulte, Rep. Adrian Plank, and Rep. Kent Haden (not pictured) for taking time to meet with us and learn more about the impact of CASA volunteers in our communities. Thank you to the staff and aides in our other legislators’ offices who chatted with us. We look forward to continuing our interactions! Thank you for the support.

Teen Care Drive

Our CASA Care Closet is where we keep things on hand for the kids we serve of every age. We want to have activities that our volunteers can do with children and youth at visits, gifts for a special occasion, and items to meet basic needs. We are especially mindful of youth in a residential setting who aren't able to receive resources that others do in a traditional placement. Will you help us stock up on some items for our youth? Would you be willing to do a Teen Care Drive at your office or with a group you belong to? After buying or collecting items we would be happy to come by and pick it up or you can drop it by our office! Reach out to Laura with any questions at laura@homcasa.org. Thank you!

Needed Items

Shampoo & Conditioner

Face & Body Lotion

Toothbrush & Toothpaste

Deodorant

Hair Cips, Ties, and Combs

Mirror

Nail Polish

Makeup

Mindfulness Coloring Books

Painting Supplies

Journals & Sketch Books

Gift cards to purchase these items are welcome as well!

Amazon Registry

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 June 1st. 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.

Summer Class

6/1/2023: In-person Kick-off 5:30-6:30 pm
6/8/2023: In-person Session 1: 5:30-8:30 pm
6/15/2023: In-person Session 2: 5:30-8:30 pm
6/22/2023: In-person Session 3: 5:30-8:30 pm
6/29/2023: In-person Session 4: 5:30-8:30 pm
7/6/2023: In-person Session 5: 5:30-8:30 pm

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!

Register for an upcoming Info Session!

Are you thinking about doing something new and meaningful in 2023? Have you considered becoming a CASA volunteer but still have questions? We have all of our Info Sessions scheduled for the year! These are brief 30 minute virtual calls where you can get your questions answered before deciding if this opportunity is for you. Click on the button below to register and a zoom link will be sent to you by email.

REGISTER HERE

View our Annual Report