News & Events » CASA Child Advocates in the Community: December 2020-January 2021
CASA Child Advocates in the Community: December 2020-January 2021
Toys & In-Kind Donations
One of our Case Supervisor’s mother teaches a 3 year old class at her church in Houston (Northwest Baptist Church.) They held a toy collection in December and she talked to them about kids who were in foster care and away from their parents at Christmas. The children signed the card before sending their donation to CASA so Advocates could deliver the toys to children over the holidays.Thank you to TWO MEN AND A TRUCK for helping us move some donated office furniture in January, and a very special thank you to Steve Spease for offering and coordinating the furniture donation!The CASA Bike Guys (Randall Cade, Paul Vallone, and Ron Finch) want to extend a very special thank you to Advocate Missy Reese for her incredible contributions to the CASA Bike Program. After a call out for bike donations, Missy collected a total of 52 bikes! Missy worked very hard to do this. When she received a message from a donor, she went their house personally for the pickup. Afterward, she stored the bikes in her home garage until one of The Bike Guys could make it by to pick up the incredible amount of bikes! According to The Bike Guys, “Missy has such a big heart and commitment for the work we do for children. We owe her our gratitude.”Thank you to Rachel Sakal, owner of Adventure Kids Playcare Woodforest, for collecting toys for children in care last holiday season. Thank you for giving children a brighter holiday! (Pictured, Adventure Kids Playcare staff member)Ashley Romagus, staff, and students at Quest Collegiate Academy – Shenandoah raised about $1800 in the weeks before Christmas and donated an incredible amount of beautifully wrapped gifts for a total of 5 children in care (2 sibling groups.) CASA Advocate, Missy Reese (pictured, far left) met CASA Case Supervisor, Jenn Engel, to collect the gifts for the families, and her vehicle was PACKED! Thank you to Ashley and Quest Collegiate Academy!!!We had the most wonderful donation of 51 dolls in early December! These beautiful and cuddly dolls by Matilda Jane Clothing were collected as part of a recent doll drive held by Trunk Keeper, Racheal Felder. Now, the dolls found new homes as Advocates took them and delivered them to children in foster care during the holiday season! Thank you, Racheal! Learn more about Matilda Jane Clothing here: https://www.matildajaneclothing.com/rachealfelderJust before the holiday season, Staci Mayhill (pictured, far left with Ann McAlpin, Executive Director) with The Sherwood Academy stopped by the CASA office with an amazing donation of books for our library! These books are available for Advocates to gift to the child(ren) on their cases. Thank you so much, Staci!
Awareness & Outreach Opportunities
CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County was pleased to have been invited to participate in November’s Community Help Expo: Navigating Behavioral Health and Suicide. The event was held just before Thanksgiving in Conroe and was presented by the Behavioral Health and Suicide Prevention, BHSP, Task Force of Montgomery County in collaboration with the Montgomery County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. CASA Training Director (now Executive Director) and TBRI Practitioner, Ann Marie Ronsman, spoke about TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) and childhood trauma during the expo.Thanks to Crust Pizza Co – Harper’s Preserve in Conroe for hosting the CASA Child Advocates’ banner and materials one weekend in January. They did an amazing job of spreading the word about CASA while making amazing pizza!CASA Recruiting Manager, Shellie Tyrell, and Incoming Executive Director, Ann Marie Ronsman, were invited to speak at The Woodlands Rotary luncheon in late January. Thank you to Rotary Club of The Woodlands for inviting us! Pictured left to right, Rotarian and current CASA Board Vice-Chair Clay McCollor; Ann Marie Ronsman; Shellie Tyrell; Rotarian, current LMC class member, and Realtor, Theresa Wagaman; and Jay Knighton, Rotary President and Attorney for Knighton & Stone, PLLC.
Donations
A very special thank you to Women United and Unmuted for helping to support children in foster care served by CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County! In December, the group presented a donation from their Ghouls Night Out event to CASA Child Advocates Recruiting Manager, Shellie Tyrrell (pictured). Learn more about the group here: https://www.womenunitedandunmuted.com/Thank you to the North Houston Association of Professional Landmen for helping to support the more than 600 children in foster care served by CASA Child Advocates of Montgomery County! During their December luncheon, Association President, Travis Beavers (left), and Vice President, Seth Blackwell (right), presented the donation to CASA Child Advocates Training Director (now Executive Director), Ann Marie Ronsman (center).
2020 CASA Superhero Run Trophy Presentations
Black Pearl Technology was presented with the 2020 Superhero Run Capes for CASA Team Competition traveling trophy in early February by CASA Development Director, Mercedes Milstead. Congratulations to Team Captain, Misti Jeter (who also placed 3rd overall among individual fundraisers), and this entire team of SUPERHEROES for raising more than $3,700 in support of children in foster care in Montgomery County!In early December, CASA Training Director (now Executive Director), Ann Marie Ronsman (pictured, far left), presented the Lake Creek High School Cross Country Team with their trophies for “Largest High School Team” and “1st Place Fundraising Team, High School Division” for the 2020 CASA Superhero Run. Special thanks to Head Coach Shauna Hazlewood and Assistant Coach Casey Schedule for helping facilitate the team’s participation in 2020!
In mid-December, CASA Marketing & Communications Director, Alli Stephens (pictured, far right), presented the Infinity Early College High School Cross Country Team with their second place trophies for “Largest High School Team” and “2nd Place Fundraising Team, High School Division” for the 2020 CASA Superhero Run. [Also pictured: Ms. Trish Beal, Principal (far left), Coach Scott Groen (3rd from right), and several members of this year’s cross country team.] Special thanks to Dr. Brenda Burgess, who was not available at the time of this photo, for facilitating the school’s participation in the 2020 CASA Superhero Run!Around Town…
You’ll be inspired by what CASA Advocates are doing for children in your community, how people like you are volunteering their time to give a voice to children removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect. They serve as the “eyes and ears” of the court and speak up to make the child’s best interest known. Advocates help to secure a safe, nurturing and permanent home for each child as quickly as possible.
