4th Quarter 2022

Special 35th Anniversary edition

The CASA Program of St. Joseph County

The Advocate

Congratulations to our Summer CASA Class Graduates! 

Please help us welcome our newest Staff Advocate !

Cyrena

Cyrena worked as a retail manager for 16 years and for DCS for 4 years. Cyrena was adopted as an infant and grew up as the only child in the home. Although she knew her half-brothers and biological family, she has always longed for a large family and to help others. Cyrena spent years as a foster parent, has helped reunify children with their parents and has adopted. She has a passion for helping children find permanency. Cyrena has 4 dogs, 2 cats and 5 children ages 21, 19, 7, 5 and 2. She has her Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and is excited to join CASA as a Staff Advocate and be the voice for the child.

Please help us welcome our newest intern!

Alexis is from Rolling Prairie and is a 4th year BSW major at IUSB! She plans on getting her MSW next year. She lives with her mom, dad, older brother, and a very chunky English bulldog named Riley. She loves music, video games, and all things Disney. Alexis is interested in social justice and social policy practice, so interning at CASA is a great way to get into the field!

alexis

How long have you been a CASA?

I have been with the CASA Program since October of 2008.

How did you hear about CASA? 

A friend of someone employeed at CASA introduced me to

the program and the rest has been history.

What made you want to work at CASA?

I heard it was a pretty great place to work, and it turns out to be true!

Tell me something interesting about yourself.

I have three children, and one of my most favorite things in the world

is to watch them play their sports. I'm the crazy mom out there cheering

them on, sometimes losing my voice.

What is some advice you would give to someone considering becoming a CASA volunteer? 

There is a need for you, and every CASA, so just do it. You will never be alone, you always have a wonderful CASA Supervisor and several other staff to support and lead you along the way. We are all here for the same reasons and the greater good. TOGETHER we will make a change.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Volunteer Spotlight: Lindsey E-W.

I've been a CASA for about 18 months now.

I wanted to become a CASA because I wanted to be where the decisions are made (in court) and use my voice to help out some kids.

I had previously been an FCM in Chicago, a service provider here in the area, and also a foster parent, so I've seen the system from those viewpoints and really wanted to help advocate for the best interest of the kids in our community.

The most challenging part of being a CASA for me is knowing that the kids are going through some of the hardest times they'll ever face. On the other hand, being able to be there for them during those hard times is the most rewarding part!

A piece of advice I would give to someone considering becoming a CASA is: DO IT! You will never regret being able to be a voice for a child and making a difference in someone's life!

Giving Tuesday is self-proclaimed as the "World's Biggest Day of Generosity", this year Giving Tuesday will be celebrated on November 29th.

Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 and is based on the idea of "Radical Giving". Giving does not have to be in monetary form. It can be as simple as holding the door for the person walking in behind you.

This Giving Tuesday, act kindly, thank someone, smile at a stranger, and know that we appreciate all of the supporters of The CASA Program of St. Joseph County!

Collecting new, unwrapped gifts for children and young adults in foster care.

• books
• sports balls
• drawing pads
• writing/coloring utensils
• any other fun items kids will enjoy!
• Board/educational games
• building sets
• puzzles
• clothing/shoes
• stuffed animals
• blankets
  

List of drop off locations to be announced, keep an eye on our facebook page!

Calling CASA Volunteers! The Holidays are coming!

CASA Volunteer Holiday Party

Dec. 8th, 2022 -- 4:00-6:00 pm

Lion - Netflix

What to watch :

A five-year-old Indian boy is adopted by an Australian couple after getting lost hundreds of kilometers from home. 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.

Lion is based on a true story. It is the adaptation of a non-fiction book named A Long Way Home written by Saroo Brierley.

The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette’s brilliant and charismatic father captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn’t want the responsibility of raising a family.

The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.

The Glass Castle is truly astonishing—a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.

The memoir was also made into a major motion picture from Lionsgate in 2017 starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts.

Book Recommendation

CASA Book Club

Volunteer Birthdays

October

• Hope E
• Kathy H
• Nairuti S
• Tom B
• Kirstin R
• Erin H
• Mark K
• Dale S
• Jim F
• Julie A
• Barb R
  

November

• Tammy M
• Corky S
• Chris B
• David G
• Jennifer W
• Jenny C
• Stephanie L
  

December

• Don W
• Amy C
• Amanda G-K
• Lindsey E-W
• Laura M
• Gina D
• Gwen D
• Jon P
  

Happy

Anniversary

October

Cathy Y - 10/7

Ann Y - 10/8

November

Kristi A - 11/14

October

Stephanie S 10/6/2008

October

Kristy A

11/26/2018

December

Brittany O

12/10/2018

Kim M

12/12/2016

2022 Holiday Schedule

The CASA Office will be closed on the following dates:

• Nov 8 -- Election Day
• Nov 11 -- Veterans Day
• Nov 24 & 25 -- Thanksgiving and Day After Thanksgiving
• Dec 26 -- In Observance of Christmas

November is National Adoption Month

National Adoption Month is an initiative of the Children’s Bureau that seeks to increase national awareness of adoption issues, bring attention to the need for adoptive families for teens in the U.S. foster care system, and emphasize the value of youth engagement.

To learn more about National Adoption Month visit: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/adoption/nam/ 

December is Seasonal Depression Awareness Month

December is a time to learn about a type of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder and different ways to ease those impacted by this mental health condition. Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is more than an experience of “winter blues.” Most commonly associated with fall and winter, SAD affects approximately 5% of the US population in any given year according to the nonprofit organization Mental Health America—that’s over 16.4 million Americans.

For more information visit: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651

Fill out an application and visit our website to learn more!