AUGUST 2010
8/21/10 CASA for Children of DC Receives Award at the 2nd Annual Pleasant Hills Community Day! Commissioner Ablrette "Gigi" Ransom awarded CASA DC a Certificate of Appreciation for our "services and contributions to the quality of life of the children of Washington, DC through advocacy on their behalf."
Thank you, CASA's for all of your hard work!
MAY 2010
5/19/10: CASA for Children of DC hosts the First Annual Fostering Hope Awards Luncheon! National CASA Association CEO, Michael Piraino, joined the CASA DC family to honor Ms. Victoria Rowell, actress and advocate for children in foster care, as well as outstanding CASA volunteers and youth.
APRIL 2010
4/1/10: April is the National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This is the month to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect. Call our office today to find out what you can do to support children and families!
DECEMBER 2009
12/8/09: Bear Hugs in Memory of a Tough Guy with a Big Heart! This month, KPMG employees and partners took part in Operation Holiday Bear Hugs, giving more than 21,000 bears and books to children across the country. In honor of the late Stephen Walsh, a CASA and KPMG manager, CASA DC was chosen to recieve 35 bears and books!
MAY 2009
5/21/09: Check out our latest Powerful Voices newsletter! Note: To view the newsletter, you will need to have installed the Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this free software, click here.
5/18/09: Did you know May is National Foster Care Month? For related events in DC and around the nation, click here.
5/14/09: One of our wonderful CASA youth, her dedicated CASA volunteer, and CASA of DC's CEO were featured on WTTG (Fox 5)! Check out their discussion of CASA's "Preparing Youth for Adulthood program" and their affirmation of the difference a CASA can effect in a child's life.
5/13/09: CASA of DC's Volunteer Manager, Phil Lartigue, accompanied Shumeka, a participant in our "Preparing Youth for Adulthood" initiative, and her dedicated CASA volunteer Kristal Wortham, to the Second Annual Youth Permanency Convening in DC yesterday. The conference was organized by the Child and Family Services Agency in collaboration with the AGA Group LLC, the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, Kidsave, and the Freddie Mac Foundation. Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund, spoke at the conference and took time to meet with the CASA team. Pictures from the conference are available at our Flickr page.
april 2009
4/13/09: The Washington Examiner featured CASA's CEO, Shane Salter, in their 3 minute interview! Read it here.
4/13/09: Invite your friends to become fans of CASA of DC on Facebook, and stay informed about CASA of DC news and events! You can also make a donation or raise awareness about children in the foster care system by joining our Facebook cause. Remember, you can also stay up-to-date on children's issues by following us on Twitter!
March 2009
3/25/09: The March edition of CASA of DC's "Our Powerful Voices" newsletter is finally here! Click here to read all about our accomplishments over the last year, and our plans for the future. Note: To view the newsletter, you will need to have installed the Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this free software, click here.
3/24/09: There's a great article in the Examiner that discusses the plight of children in foster care:
"Too often youths from “undesirable” backgrounds are cast-offs viewed as never having aspirations of greatness. Their thoughts, desires, talents, and worth are overlooked. Unaware of circumstances contributing to these youths' fate, adults often prejudge and dismiss them. However, if adults were to engage rather than prejudge, they would discover the youth who acts violently for instance, was consistently abused by his or her parents until placed in foster care, where he or she never found a permanent, loving home, eventually “aging out” of a system promising to restore his or her life. Nonetheless, one DC organization, which acts on behalf of and along with DC youths, ensures youths within the District child welfare system have a fighting chance of finding a permanent home. Those unfortunate to find a permanent home and face “aging out” of the foster care system, are prepared for an independent life as an adult."
Guess which DC organization they're talking about? To read the rest of the article, and to learn more about how CASA of DC helps children in foster care find safe, permanent homes, click here.
3/19/09: On Wednesday, March 18th, four of CASA's staff members and two volunteers attended a press conference on Capitol Hill to celebrate the GIVE Act - a radical new piece of legislation that constitutes the most dramatic expansion of national service opportunities in a generation. Speakers at the press conference included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Representative Steny Hoyer, and others. Click here to learn more about the GIVE Act, or here to see photos of the CASA gang rocking their T-shirts on Capitol Hill! Footage of the conference itself is available at the Be The Change, Inc. blog.
3/12/09: CASA of DC is now on Twitter! To stay updated on foster care legislation, CASA DC events, and the latest issues in children's rights, click here!
JUNE 2008
6/8/08: Shane Salter, Founder and CEO of CASA for the Children DC, was named the 2008 Washington Nationals Father of Year, thanks to his adopted son, Moye's, prizewinning essay. Read the full article here.
MAY 2008
5/20/08: The National CASA Association launched its “Forgotten Children Campaign” in DC with an exhibit at the Washington Monument featuring 850 life-sized cardboard displays representing the number of children who enter foster care each day. Read more about the campaign here.
5/18/08: Shane Salter, CASA DC's Founder and CEO, was featured in a Washington Post online discussion for the 2008 National Foster Care Appreciation Month! Read the full transcript here.