Our mission is to ensure
that abused and neglected
children are provided with
every available opportunity
to begin a journey into
healthy, productive lives.
By introducing caring,
responsible adults into their
lives, we help break the cycle
of abuse and neglect. By
engaging trained volunteers,
we empower people in
our community to place
children’s needs and wellbeing
as a priority.
Chief Development Officer
Administrative Assistant
CASA of Monterey County
201 Monterey-Salinas HWY.,
Suite F
Salinas, CA 93908
Click here for driving directions
Phone: 831.455.6800
Fax: 831.455.6802
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CASA of Monterey County
Welcome…
CASA of Monterey County is dedicated to the safety, well-being, and best interests of the children in the Dependency System of Monterey and San Benito Counties. Through a comprehensive program we work to ensure children's needs are being met. One of the greatest ways you can help an abused child is to become a volunteer advocate or to donate to our program. Follow the sidebar links to 'Become an Advocate' to learn about the training process or to 'Donate to CASA' to invest in a child's future and in our community.
| UPCOMING EVENTS |  |
The 8th Annual CASA Classic Golf Tournament
Benefiting CASA of Monterey County
Monday, July 19, 2010
Pasadera Country Club
Title Sponsor
Lockton Companies
Facilitating Sponsors
Charlene and Peter Boulais
Product Development Corporation
Call or email for more information: 831.455.6800 | events@casamonterey.org
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Dear Friends and Supporters,
Personal connections are said to be a key to psychological well-being and health. A recent three-part TV series on PBS called, "This Emotional Life" speaks to the necessity of connections to others if we are to have balance and harmony in our lives. Children in the foster care system often suffer from lack of connectedness. While never intentional, it is often the outcome of moving from one home to another, of family members living apart, and of dramatic and unpredictable changes in their lives. This lack of connectedness creates major obstacles for permanency. Those severed connections result in further grief and loss. Processing and working through grief and loss and establishing connections are integral to healing and developing the inner strength to in order to have a fulfilling life and adulthood.
This past year, CASA of Monterey County examined how we can shift the context for our child advocacy to always be working towards permanency. Working closely with our partners in the Department of Social Services, and with guidance from CPYP - California Permanency for Youth Project, it was a year marked by greater team efforts and a shared vision to find permanent connections for all of our youth. The teams experienced some powerful successes, including some never-dreamed of parent-child reunifications. Success bred hope, which began to infuse the work with more energy and creative problem solving. This philosophical perspective will be reflected in our training and supervision. An outgrowth of this will be the Family Finding and Engagement training and support we are developing for our advocates. Already incorporated into the existing training are new best practices for dealing with youth who runaway and CASAs who work closely with group homes.
This past year also reinforced our belief that generosity comes in many forms. We benefitted from the generosity of donors, corporations, and foundations despite the challenging economic times. We had an outpouring of volunteers during our 30-in-30 Campaign last fall representing incredible generosity of one's time and commitment. Our staff and board are generous with their guidance, wisdom, and involvement on so many levels.
I encourage you to make your commitment to CASA this year. Consider what aspect of our program would be most fulfilling for you - a donor, a volunteer, an advocate, or a board member. Through your connection to this program you can help children make the connections they need to heal and move forward in a life with balance and harmony.
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... Alec's Story ...
Jerry became Alec's CASA advocate last April. Despite Alec's grade level, it became immediately apparent that this eight year old boy had virtually no reading ability. He recognized Alec's desire to learn to read when he mailed him a birthday card.
When Jerry went to visit him, Alec was quick to pull his torn and tattered birthday card out of his pocket. It didn't matter that Alec couldn't read what it said, but that someone had taken the time to send it.
Jerry assumed Alec's educational rights and pushed for an individualized education plan (IEP) for him. In a very short time, Alec has progressed to a second-grade reading level, and was even honored as "student of the month" at his school. He enjoys learning and is proud of his progress. His teachers report that he's a "totally different boy" and is no longer a problem in the classroom.
It will be a long process for Alec to conquer all of his academic challenges, but with the help and support of his CASA advocate, he's improving every day.
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Thank you and with warm regards,
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