Friday, June 17, 2011
CASA of Washtenaw County Volunteer Silvia Raithel interns at the White House
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
CASA Community Member of the Week
Ira Shaughnessy
Role: Board Fellow from the University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business
What interested you about the CASA program?
When applying for Board Fellow programs, I was drawn to Friends of CASA because of the benefit CASAs provide to Washtenaw youth. Working with the Board has been a great experience and reaffirms my interest to work in the nonprofit field in the future.
Tell us a little bit about your previous Work and/or Volunteer Experience and/or your Education:
Prior to starting at Ross, I spent over two years in Ghana as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Following my Peace Corps experience, I traveled around the world for 6 months. During my three years abroad, I was exposed to a number of nonprofit organizations and noticed that many do as much harm as they do good. I am now pursuing a dual degree, with an MS in Natural Resources and Environment as well as an MBA with concentrations in Social Enterprise and Strategy.
Hobbies/Fun Facts about Yourself:
I've played soccer all of my life and loved being able to play in countries around the world when I was unable to communicate in any other way.
What is your favorite quote of all time?
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
- Lewis Carroll
How did you hear about about the CASA program?
My sister previously worked as a CASA and I found out more when applying to Board Fellows.
CASA Community Member of the Week
Thursday, February 3, 2011
CASA Community Members of the Week
Name: Elyse B.
Role: CASA Supporter
What interested you about the CASA program?
The CASA program provides for children in a way that most people would not ordinarily think of. I found its unique aid fascinating and I wanted to help the cause.
Tell us a little bit about your previous Work and/or Volunteer Experience and/or your Education:
I'm a student at Novi High School. I've volunteered at a few different places (Angela Hospice, Gleaner's Food Bank).
Hobbies/Fun Facts about Yourself:
When I'm not at school, I love to read, dance, and find some way to exercise. I also love to spend time with my family, including my dog, Buddy.
What is your favorite quote of all time?
When I was in third grade, I did a report on Sarah Grimke. It began with this quote. I've always remembered it since.
"All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet from off our necks."
How did you hear about about the CASA program?
My mother had worked with CASA before and when the opportunity arose to help out, we took it.
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What interested you about the CASA program?
The CASA program gives children such basic support. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to go through childhood without such basic opportunities.
Tell us a little bit about your previous Work and/or Volunteer Experience and/or your Education:
I have volunteered at food banks and as a teacher assistant.
Hobbies/Fun Facts about Yourself:
I play soccer and the drum set. I am in my high school's band and enjoy computers.
What is your favorite quote of all time?
"Try not. Do or do not. There is no try." - Yoda
How did you hear about about the CASA program?
Word of mouth.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
CASA Community Member of the Week

I love that there is an organization that gives a voice to children who cannot advocate for themselves. Children are so innocent and it is our duty to protect them.
Tell us a little bit about your previous Work and/or Volunteer Experience and/or Education:
I graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Political Science. I worked for UofM as a non-profit recruitment coordinator until the birth of my daughter. After my first child was born, I became a full-time stay-at home mom. Now, I spend my time volunteering for various organizations that benefit foster children, I’m the Treasurer/Secretary of the PTO at my children’s school, and I volunteer in their classrooms.
Hobbies/Fun Fact(s) about Yourself:
My husband Jason and I have a 7 year old daughter named Samantha and a 5 year old son named Kyle. I love yoga, reading, and history.
What is your favorite quote of all time?
"He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help." Abraham Lincoln
How did you hear about the CASA Program?
I actually first heard of the program on the Dr. Phil show!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Patselas Photographs for CASA

Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Remembering Nancy Abinojar (1957-2010)

Monday, March 15, 2010
CASA Community Member of the Week

Monday, August 31, 2009
CASA Community Member of the Week

Name: Trevor B.
Role: Board Member – Secretary of the Friends of CASA
Picture: Trevor, with girlfriend Tracy R.
What interested you about the CASA program?
The mission of CASA immediately caught my attention. The fact they/we are able to have such a great impact on children that are less fortunate in the Washtenaw County area is very important to me.
Tell us a little bit about your previous Work and/or Volunteer Experience and/or Education:
I started my own Financial Practice in Ann Arbor about 5 years ago, which includes tax preparation, accounting, and other financial services. I was born and raised in Ann Arbor, MI, then attended Colorado State University, and returned to Ann Arbor about 6 years ago. I have coached baseball at the high school level well as some very successful youth baseball teams. I enjoy working with working with kids and making a difference in the local community.
Hobbies/Fun Fact(s) about Yourself:
I enjoy playing golf, softball, and reading books in the areas of finance and taxation.
What is your favorite quote of all time?
“A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – John Shedd
“What we learn with pleasure we never forget” – Louis Mercier
How did you hear about the CASA Program?
I had the pleasure of meeting Cheri Dunn (Friends of CASA board member), through a networking group that I created called A2BI. We started discussing CASA and its impact in Washtenaw County and the conversation sparked my interest. After talking to Cheri and Marianne and seeing their passion on this subject, there was no question this was something that I wanted to become involved with.
Friday, July 24, 2009
CASA Community Member of the Week
Name: Emily M.Role: CASA AmeriCorps Associate
What interested you about the CASA program?
The opportunity to make a difference!
Tell us a little bit about your previous Work and/or Volunteer Experience and/or Education:
I am pleased and excited to be working in the non-profit sector for the first time.
Hobbies/Fun Fact(s) about Yourself:
I enjoy thrift stores, fixing and sprucing up run down old furniture, collaging, walking, photography and good company.
What is your favorite quote of all time?
"Throughout the ages man has but little heeded the advice of the wise men. He has been - fatefully, if not willfully - less virtuous, less constant, less rational, less peaceful than he knows how to be, than he is fully capable of being. He has been led astray from the ways of peace and brotherhood by his addiction to concepts and attitudes of narrow nationalism, racial and religious bigotry, greed and lust for power. Despite this, despite the almost continuous state of war to which bad human relations have condemned him, he has made steady progress. In his scientific genius, man has wrought material miracles and has transformed his world. He has harnessed nature and has developed great civilizations. But he has never learned very well how to live with himself. The values he has created have been predominantly materialistic; his spiritual values have lagged far behind. He has demonstrated little spiritual genius and has made little progress toward the realization of human brotherhood. In the contemporary atomic age, this could prove man's fatal weakness. Alfred Nobel, a half-century ago, foresaw with prophetic vision that if the complacent mankind of his day could, with equanimity, contemplate war, the day would soon inevitably come when man would be confronted with the fateful alternative of peace or reversion to the Dark Ages. Man may well ponder whether he has not now reached that stage. Man's inventive genius has so far outreached his reason - not his capacity to reason but his willingness to apply reason - that the peoples of the world find themselves precariously on the brink of total disaster."
How did you hear about the CASA Program?
AmeriCorps.
Friday, May 15, 2009
CASA Community Member of the Week
Name: Priya G. Role: Volunteer
What interested you about the CASA program?
CASA’s role as both a social service entity with a social justice bent that was also institutionalized. This would allow me to make a noticeable and marked difference in the life of young children who are our future.
Also, CASA provided a diverse set of opportunities, from practicing networking skills to crisis management skills as well as of course making the difference in the life of young children.
Tell us a little bit about your previous Work and/or Volunteer Experience and/or Education:
I am a student at
Hobbies/Fun Fact(s) about Yourself:
Reading, writing, and Indian folk dance.
What is your favorite quote of all time?
“There is nothing to fear, but fear itself.”—
How did you hear about the CASA Program?
Non-profit career fair.
Monday, July 21, 2008
CASA Community Member of the Week
Name: Marianne C.Role: Friends of CASA Board Chair & CASA Volunteer
Picture: Marianne C. with husband, Dan
What interested you about the CASA program?
That it was for children in the county in a vulnerable situation. It seems there is always an awful story in the news about foster children being further abused, and the CASA program is a way to directly help these children.
Tell us a little bit about your previous Work and/or Volunteer Experience and/or Education:
20 years as a consultant, managing large systems integration projects. Switched to the nonprofit sector in 2005 when I joined Nonprofit
Hobbies/Fun Fact(s) about Yourself:
I love to read and garden. I’m perfectly happy digging weeds for hours at a time.
What is your favorite quote of all time?
“The distance is nothing. It is only the first step that is difficult.”
- Madame du Deffand, French intellectual and writer, 16th century.
How did you hear about the CASA Program?
I had an assistant who was a graduate student at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, and she had an internship at the Toledo CASA program. I also read about the Washtenaw CASA program in an Ann Arbor News profile of Ashwin Patel.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
CASA Community Member of the Week
Role: CASA Volunteer
Why did you choose to be involved with this organization?
I have been looking for a while to find a volunteer position that gave me a chance to have hands-on experience with a neglected or abused child. When I heard about CASA in a college course, I was intrigued, and looking into it further only assured me that I had made the right choice.
Work Experience/Volunteer Experience/Education
Currently, I am a full time student at Eastern Michigan University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Women's Studies. I am hoping to continue my studies and eventually branch out into the non-profit world. I also spend some of my time volunteering with the Safehouse Center.
Hobbies/Fun Fact(s) about Yourself
I am very interested in women and child advocacy. I am an alumnus of Delta Zeta. I am currently Hospitality Chair of National Association of Career Women. I am also involved in the Ann Arbor Coalition Against Rape.
How did you hear about the CASA Program?
I first heard about CASA in a Psychology course mentioned by a Child Advocacy Center Speaker.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
CASA Community Member of the Week
Name: Shelley S.
Role: CASA Volunteer
Why did you choose to be involved with this organization?
I was touched by the stories presented on the website and felt that the work of a CASA volunteer could offer assistance to children who are victims of a chaotic social environment.
Work Experience/Volunteer Experience/Education:
Physician
Hobbies/Fun Fact(s) about Yourself:
Yoga, Biking
How did you hear about the CASA Program?
Browsing the internet.
Monday, March 24, 2008
CASA Community Member of the Week
Name: Sondra S.
Role: CASA Volunteer, Friends of CASA Volunteer
What interested you about the CASA Program?
My experiences working with Children's Advocacy have inspired me to become increasingly involved in the issues surrounding child welfare. When I heard of the opportunity to advocate for abused and neglected children, my perspectives on ethics and social justice were supported by the role of a CASA volunteer. This position to advocate and empower today's youth was an opportunity that I was immediately interested in.
Work Experience/Volunteer Experience/Education:
I am currently a senior at the University of Michigan School of Literature, Science, and the Arts. I am pre-law with a concentration in biopsychology. Throughout my time as an undergraduate, I have had the opportunity to become involved in a number of experiences that have helped to shape my interest.
This past summer, I had the opportunity of working as an Intern in the Pediatric Advocacy Clinic at the University of Michigan. This position exposed me to a number of advocacy cases that I worked on to organize and maintain for the law clinic.
I have also had the the chance to become a member of the Children's Advocacy Initiative at the University of Michigan Mott's Children's Hospital. As part of this program, I have worked to speak up for kids by communicating with legislators regarding improvements in the health and well-being of the children in Michigan.
Hobbies/Fun Fact(s) about Yourself:
I love to travel and I am currently working on becoming proficient in Spanish! I enjoy learning about different cultures and plan to someday go abroad. I also love taking pictures and going to concerts.
How did you hear about the CASA Program?
I was speaking with a friend of mine (who is also pre-law at the University of Michigan) when he mentioned I should look into CASA. We were discussing the different areas of law that we were interested in when he said that CASA seemed like it would be a great fit for me.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
CASA Community Member of the Week

Name: Lisa P.
Role: CASA Volunteer
What interested you about the CASA Program?
It provides an opportunity to actually make a difference in a child's life. You can see and feel the results.
Tell us a little bit about your work and/or volunteer experience and/or education.
I'm a University of Michigan graduate. I've worked in software development for almost 25 years and currently work at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Hobbies/Fun Fact(s) about Yourself:
I design kiln-formed glass pieces that are sold at various art galleries in the Midwest, including the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum Shop and the Ann Arbor Art Fair.
What is your favorite quote of all time?
How did you hear about the CASA Program?
I read about the National CASA Program about 15 years ago in a magazine.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
CASA Community Member of the Week
Name: Ava A.
Role: Coordinator of the Washtenaw County Trial Court CASA Program
What interested you about the CASA Program?
The potential to intervene with children and stop the cycle of abuse and neglect that occurs in families over generations. It was also an opportunity to develop some new skills in administration of a Social Work program.
Tell us a little bit about your previous Work and/or Volunteer Experience and/or Education.
Bachelor's and Master's in Social Work from the University of Michigan.
I worked as a medical social worker at Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan Health System for many years. I did adult medical social work for a dialysis company and did Substance Abuse Therapy with women prisoners at Camp Brighton, a minimum security facility for women which has now been closed down.
I was also a therapist at The Home of New Vision, a residential treatment program in Ann Arbor for women coming from jail for substance abuse-related crimes. Believe it or not, my work with women with substance abuse issues, especially in the prison system, was some of the most rewarding I've done.
Hobbies/Fun Fact(s) about Yourself:
I'm an avid dance fan (ballet and jazz) and studied dance in my 20's and 30's (which is now a while ago!). I also love to read and exercise.
A fun fact about me is that I was at Woodstock!
What is your favorite quote of all time?
I don't know if it's my favorite of ALL time, but here's one I like:
"You must BE the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
How did you hear about the CASA Program?
I actually had not heard about it before I was approached by the director of the Juvenile Court, Linda Edwards Brown, who was a friend of mine, about the court's desire to develop and grow their CASA Program. I applied for the position of volunteer coordinator and the rest is history!
Monday, January 14, 2008
CASA Community Member of the Week

Name: Sade B.
Role: Friends of CASA Board Member
What interested you about the CASA Program?
I grew up in the Michigan foster care system. My childhood experiences in the system has uniquely shaped my perspective on the sensitive issues that most foster children encounter. I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate working with disadvantaged youth, so when I heard about the CASA program, I wanted to find out how I could get involved.
Tell us a little bit about your current and previous work and/or volunteer experience and/or education.
I am currently a senior at the University of Michigan. I am pursuing a dual Bachelors of Arts in English and Sociology, with a sub-concentration in Social Inequality. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to volunteer with several community organizations in the Ann Arbor/Detroit area. However, one of the most rewarding volunteer experiences took placed when I volunteered at Marvin L. Winans Academy for the Fine and Performing Arts in the fall of 2006.
Hobbies/Fun Fact(s) about Yourself:
I attend Second Baptist Church of Ann Arbor and I sing in one of the choirs. I am not a singer at all, but I enjoy praising God in any way that I can. I also love to shop! I am a pretty big fan of James Patterson. He is the best American suspense writer of all time.
What is your favorite quote of all time?
"Change began with the Action of One."
I am not sure who said it, but I love it!
How did you hear about the CASA Program?
I worked at the Non-Profit Enterprises at Work (NEW) during the summer of 2007. My co-workers were discussing the state of foster care in Michigan. I offered some of my insights about the subject and my co-worker told me about Friends of CASA and a bit about CASA, and the rest is history!
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Thursday, December 27, 2007
CASA Community Member of the Week
Name: Cheri D.Role: Friends of CASA Board Member and Marketing Chair
What interested you in the CASA Program?
Both of my children were in abuse and neglect situations prior to their adoption. Going through the adoption process gave me a unique perspective on not only the people hurting the children, but also those trying so hard to help and the road blocks that they often must overcome in the interest of the child. The CASA program is a fantastic way of putting more resources to bat for our children.
Tell us a little bit about your previous and current work and/or volunteer experience and/or education.
I have a bachelor's degree in marketing and an MBA. My work experience encompasses over twenty years in consumer and business-to-business marketing.
Hobbies/Fun Fact(s) about Yourself:
I love to cook, especially as a way of dealing with stress. I can't seem to finish a book - I have four going right now.
What is your favorite quote of all time?
"It is what it is."
How did you hear about the CASA Program?
About ten years ago, someone said to me, "You should be a CASA."
We welcome comments! Please click on the "Comments" link below.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
CASA Community Member of the Week
Name: Jonathan (Jon) H.Role: CASA Volunteer
What interested you about the CASA program?
I saw it as an opportunity to serve children and families in need.
Tell us a little bit about your current and previous work and/or volunteer experience and/or education:
Graduate of Culver Military Academy, Culver, Indiana . . . B.A. in Education, M.A. in Educational Administration, University of Michigan . . . Graduate work in Criminal Justice Studies, University of Detroit . . . Teacher, Van Buren Public Schools, Belleville, Michigan, seven years, . . . Police Officer, City of Belleville, seven years . . . Principal, Van Buren Public Schools, Belleville, twenty-one years . . . Numerous summers as counselor, program director, & director, camps for handicapped children and adults . . . Married (Debi), father of three. . . Currently retired . . . Chairman, Foster Care Review Board serving Jackson, Hillsdale, & Lenawee counties, and Board Representative, State Advisory Committee . . . Volunteer Mediator, Community Dispute Resolution Program serving Jackson, Hillsdale, Lenawee, & Monroe counties . . . Board member, Community Living Services, Inc. (private, not-for-profit organization which provides services and supports for people with developmental disabilities), Wayne . . . Volunteer Driver, Meals-on-Wheels, Onsted . . . Member, Volunteer Corps, Croswell Opera House & Fine Arts Association, Adrian . . . Volunteer Admissions Ambassador, Interlochen Center for the Arts . . . Board member, Interlochen Alumni Organization, Interlochen Center for the Arts.
What is a favorite quote?
You must give some time to your fellow man. Even if it’s a little thing, do something for those who have need of help, something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it. For remember, you don’t live in a world all your own; your brothers [and sisters] are here, too. - Albert Schweitzer
How did you hear about the CASA Program?
My wife heard a public service announcement on the radio describing the role of a CASA and seeking volunteers.
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