Springfield Business Journal_2019-08-23

G IV I N G O P P O RT U N I T I E S C A S A O F S O U T H W E S T M I S S O U R I A D D R E S S 1 9 1 1 S. N at i o n a l , S u i te 4 0 4 , S p r i n g f i e ld , M O 65 8 0 4 P H O N E 41 7- 8 6 4-62 02 W E B S I T E c asa sw m o.o rg SO C IA L ME D IA /c a s a sw m o / TOTA L N UM B E R O F EM P LOY E E S 7 A N N UA L R E V E N U E S $ 37 3 , 5 67 TOP E X EC U T I V E L a u ra Fa r m e r, E xe c ut i ve D i re cto r B OA R D O F D I REC TO R S C H A I RP E R SO N : B e n j a m i n Mc B r i d e, P re s i d e nt B OA R D O F D I REC TO R S E r i c G e r ke , V i ce - P re s i d e nt J osh Co o p e r, Tre a s u re r To ny H o p k i n s , S e c ret a r y C h r i s S h a e fe r, Pa st P re s id e nt A l ic i a A rm st ro n g M ic h el e B row n K i m C a s h H e i d i C ra n e S h e r y l Ed wa rd s L ay l a H a rd i n g J e n n i fe r H a rg i s A n n H e i d e m a nn S a ra H o r n o r J oy L at i m e r S h a n e N e l so n S a ra h Ro g e rs C ra i g S c h n e i d e r N at h a n Se a g rave L a u ra S t a r ks D av i d Ya k t i n e The CASA will visit the child at least twice a month, attend pertinent meetings and advocate for the child during court hearings. Because the CASA is a volun- teer, the child builds a special bond with the CASA, which often remains a lifelong connection even after the child exits foster care into a safe, loving home. CASA of SWMO is currently seeking volunteers to show foster children they matter. When a child has a CASA, they are more likely to perform better in school, have more stability in their foster home and exit the foster care system more quickly into a safe, permanent home. Our vision is to serve every child in foster care in Greene and Christian Counties, and we have some work to do to reach this goal. We offer monthly informational meetings, where interested parties can learn more about this important volun- teer opportunity. CASA of SWMO partners with many businesses in the community to recruit volunteers, provide education and training and much more. If you are interested in learning how you can impact the life of a child, please call us at 417-864-6202 or visit us at casaswmo.org Donate: CASA of SWMO relies on the generous support of our community, especially the business community. Businesses can get involved by sponsor- ing our special events or purchasing holiday cards and pinwheels. Throughout the holiday season, CASA of SWMO sells holiday cards designed by local students to raise essential funds for our program. Businesses can customize the cards with their logos and a personal message. The holiday cards are great to send to employees, clients and friends, and they help us to raise community awareness. In addition to these great opportunities, during Child Abuse Pre- vention Month in April, CASA of SWMO sells pin- wheels to our business community. We plant the pin- wheels outside each business partner, which shows that your company cares about vulnerable children in our community. If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities, please contact Julie Good at 417-864-6202 or jgood@casaswmo.org. Testimonials Four months ago, a sibling group of two young girls came into foster care due to extremely unsanitary living conditions and illegal drug usage in the home. There were also several individuals living in the home and many people coming and going, which made it a very unsafe situation for the children. When the children first came into foster care, they were placed with a foster family because there was no biolog- ical family immediately available. When it became obvious early on that the biological parents of these sweet children did not want to get them back and the foster parents were only interested in fostering, the team tried to find an adoptive family. During the four months the children were in foster care, the CASA worked with the three different caseworkers who were assigned to the case. The CASA made it a priority to get to know the girls and help build trust with them by visiting them consistently and listening to their stories. With the many caseworker changes in a short amount of time, the hopes of finding other biological family members for the children were slim to none – due to limited time, resources and lack of previous case knowledge of the caseworker. The CASA continued to work on the case, asked the right questions and completed extensive research to find biological family members who had previously gone unnoticed. Specifically, the CASA located a family member who had a previous relationship with the children but did not know they were in foster care. This family member became an adoptive home for both children! Typically, the adoption process for children in foster care takes 2+ years, but because of this CASAs hard work and determination, the chil- dren now have a loving, safe and permanent home in under five months in the foster care system. Mission Statement To recruit, train and support community volunteers who assist the court in protecting the best interests of abused and neglected children in southwest Missouri. Service Area Greene and Christian Counties Funding CASA of Southwest Missouri relies on the generous support of our community through private donations, including individual, family, and corporate gifts and sponsorships. Additional funding comes from special events, as well as local and state foundations and grants, including the United Way. Donors to CASA of Southwest Missouri may be eligible for the Champion for Children Tax Credit for an amount up to 50% of qualified contributions. 12 Month Goals 1. CASA will have a growing number of CASA vol- unteers through recruitment and retention efforts, ensuring that more children in the foster care system have an advocate. Specifically, CASA of SWMO will recruit, train and support at least 45 new CASA vol- unteers in the next 12 months. 2. CASA of SWMO will provide community outreach and education to raise awareness about children who are abused and neglected, and how community members can get involved to positively change lives. 3. CASA of SWMO will continue focus on financial growth and sustainability to move closer to our vision of serving every child in foster care in Greene and Christian Counties. 4. CASA of SWMO will seek opportunities to grow and expand in southwest Missouri by exploring current and future collaborative partnerships to provide quality services, as well as reach the under- served areas of southwest Missouri. Annual Events • CASA Holiday Cards – sold October through December • “Go Blue” Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Month – April 2020 • Lift Up a Child Fitness Competition – April 2020 • CASAblanca – September 2020 How People and Businesses Can Help Volunteer: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) are trained volunteers who speak up for the best interest of children who have been abused or neglected and are in the state’s foster care system. 28 2019 GIVING GUIDE SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL | ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT