In Tough Times, Foundations Still Give Back

Contributed by: Donna Huntsman, Executive Director

Friends of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) was awarded several generous grants and contributions that will help it promote its mission of helping abused and neglected children in Washtenaw County.

The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation Clauw Family Fund donated $10,000 to the organization in hopes of providing every child in Washtenaw County a safe, permanent home. The grant is unrestricted and will be used to further the Friends of CASA mission.

The Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor donated $2,000 toward CASA’s Cinderella Fund. The fund allows CASA volunteers to request modest sums to support the special needs of the children not met by standard Department of Human Services stipends. Examples of Cinderella Fund purchases in 2008 included:

• A warm winter coat for a little boy
• Undergarments for a teenage girl
• Boots for three children fostered by a relative
• Beds which allowed a relative to foster two nieces

The continuing generosity of our funders in today’s economy is a clear sign that our community values the incredibly important work we do. We are very grateful for the support of the Clauw Family Fund and the Kiwanis Club. Funders like them help bring us closer toward our goal of providing a CASA volunteer for every abused and neglected child in foster care in Washtenaw County.

Other noteworthy grantors include the Junior League of Ann Arbor with a $500 donation and the First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor with a $400 donation. These two grants will go toward community outreach efforts to recruitment additional volunteer CASAs.

A CASA is a volunteer assigned to a child who regularly visits with the child and speaks with foster parents, biological parents, teachers, therapists, lawyers and caseworkers. The CASA attends court proceedings and recommends to the judge how to best help the child – they are the voice of the child.

Our advocates serve as a consistent, caring adult in a child’s life. They go to court with them; they take them to the park; they help them move from one foster home to another; they follow their progress at school, and they provide the court with a better understanding of who the child is and what he/she needs.

The Washtenaw CASA program serves as a model of government and nonprofit collaboration, and draws from the strengths of each sector to support the children who are in very unfortunate circumstances. CASA of Washtenaw County is a partnership between government, Washtenaw County Juvenile Court, and the nonprofit, Friends of CASA, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Since its founding in 1999, Friends of CASA has made a difference in the lives of abused or neglected children. For more information or to donate, please visit http://www.casawashtenaw.org/.

Logo source: corresponding organization's website