(614) magazine features CASA volunteers!

Check out the September issue of (614) magazine which profiles CASA of Franklin County and two of our great volunteers!  Way to go Meredith and Caleb!

Read the article here!

And pick up a copy of (614) today!

Become a CASA Ambassador!

CASA of Franklin County wants to take you out for breakfast with 500 other CASA friends!

This year marks our 10th Annual “Speak Up for Children” Breakfast.

The breakfast will be Tuesday, October 5th at 7:30AM at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

This is our largest, most important, and only “official” fundraising event of the year and we need everyone’s help to make it a success.

I am asking that each of you consider becoming a CASA Ambassador for the 2010 Breakfast.

In this role, you will invite people to fill a table of 10 at the free, one-hour Breakfast and help spread awareness about CASA. When people attend the Breakfast, we hope that as learn more about us and our work, they become motivated to make a financial contribution. Guests will be asked to consider making a contribution or pledge. However, there is no hard-sell or pressure to do so.

As current volunteers you are in the best position to share with others about your role, and about the importance of CASA’s mission and vision in Franklin County.

We will work with you, step by step, when you decide to become an Ambassador. We have plenty of materials and a Toolkit designed to walk you through the process of who to invite, how to invite, and how to keep track of it all.

 

Please let me know if you are willing and able to help CASA with this critical need. You can email akonarski@casacolumbus.org or call 614-462-4885.

Thank you, as always, for the work you do already as Guardians ad Litem. You truly make a difference for the abused children of Franklin County!

Charity of the Day!

CASA of Franklin County will be featured as the Charity of the Day on GoodSearch.com and GoodShop.com on 6/18/2010!!

Did you know you can help CASA of Franklin County every time you shop online and search the web by adding our new toolbar! Each time you shop at one of more than 1,300 participating top stores (from Amazon to Zazzle!), we will earn a percentage of the purchase price – at no extra cost to you! (you may even save money as the toolbar also includes coupons and deals!) It also includes a Yahoo powered search box and each time you search the web, about a penny is donated to CASA-FC!

Add our toolbar here - http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/casa-franklin-county

Or, if you’d rather, you can go directly to GoodSearch.com to do your searches and GoodShop.com to click through to the stores to do your shopping!

Last year we made enough money to help defray costs for meals during volunteer training!

You can use GoodSearch and GoodShop every day, but be sure to check us out on their homepage on 6/18/2010!
 

CASA Day at the Clippers!

Columbus Clippers, our team is number one, Columbus Clippers, our fans are half the fun,
No matter who they're playing,
      they'll always play 'em well,
Columbus Clippers, ring your bell!



Most central Ohio sports fans know this catchy tune from ball games at “the Coop” or at the award-winning, new Huntington Park, and eagerly shake our cow bells after the last line is sung. Yes, Minor League Baseball has a long, proud history in our city--one written since 1977 by the Columbus Clippers.

The Clippers have a well-deserved reputation as a committed, engaged community partner.

On June 15th they will welcome CASA of Franklin County to the ballpark in an effort to promote awareness of CASA’s mission as well as the amazing work of CASA/GALs.

CASA staff will be on-hand to answer questions, distribute brochures, and offer CASA goodies to interested fans. Who knows? You might even leave the park that day with a new foam CASA baseball!

This game is one of the Clippers’ famous “Business Day Specials” so the first pitch is at 12:05! Come down to the Arena District and be part of the fun.

See you at the game!
 

Kurts Cares Program!

The final frost of the spring appears to be behind us! I know many of you use this point in the year to begin your gardening and landscaping in earnest. I want to remind everyone that CASA of Franklin County is participating in the Kurtz Cares program.

According to a Kurtz Bros. representative, the “response has truly been unbelievable.”

Recently, the folks at Kurtz Bros. have sweetened the pot. The organization that has the highest total will get a bonus contribution amount of $250! And, any organization with just one purchase on their account will be placed in a drawing to receive a $100 contribution.

Remember at check-out simply mention CASA of Franklin County and/or our account number, “4.” Specific CASA affiliation is not necessary. Please tell any of your friends about this opportunity. Your friends in NE Ohio can help out—Kurtz Bros. have locations there, too.

There’s still time to participate. The first quarter of the program ends on May 31st. If you have any inclination at all to playing in the dirt, I ask you to consider buying your gardening/landscaping materials at Kurtz Bros. this year. There are central Ohio locations in Alexandria, Dublin, Groveport, and Westerville (full nursery there). Same day or next day delivery is available on most orders.

For more info visit www.kurtz-bros.com or www.kurtzcares.com.

As always, thank you for your involvement with CASA of Franklin County.

Lauren's Story

Make a difference!

Lauren's Story is a personal account from a former foster child about what a difference a CASA/GAL made in her life.  Check out the full story here!

Links between economy and abuse

Grim statistics out recently, which further link economics stresses and child abuse.

MSNBC is reporting on higher rates of shaken baby syndrome.

The study cited in the article includes cases at Nationwide Children's Hopital here in Columbus.

Also called Abusive Head Trauma, indicators of this type of abuse include:

- retinal hemorrhages
- multiple fractures of the long bones
-subdural hematomas (bleeding in the brain).

Victims of SBS may display irritability, failure to thrive, alterations in eating patterns, lethargy, vomiting, seizures, bulging or tense fontanels (the soft spots on an infant's head), increased size of the head, altered breathing, and dilated pupils. (wikipedia.com)

As this abuse become more common, we will see more in our own cases here at CASA of Franklin County.