CASA of Rock County, WI

Last Thursday night, we spent the evening celebrating our advocates for all that they do. Without them, CASA wouldn't be able to help the children in our community.

As a Movie/Oscar themed evening, each advocate was recognized by a movie that was most fitting to their time as a volunteer with CASA. They also received a "movie ticket" with the title of their movie and a heart-felt note from their supervisor. We shared laughs and we shared tears, all in awe of the advocates.

We are so appreciative of our advocates each and every day, and we loved getting together and celebrating them!

Staff are working hard to prepare for our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner tomorrow. Can you guess the theme ?

We are just shy of 2 weeks away from our Fall Training classes and we are SO excited! During training, we go through what it means to be a CASA and examples of scenarios that our advocates might encounter, among many other things.

With the support of United Way Blackhawk Region, we are able to provide the best training possible to our up-and-coming advocates! Thank you for your partnership in supporting the vulnerable children in our community!

🌟 We are thrilled to welcome back The Ramble for our Fall Festival at The Barn On Prairie on Saturday, October 5th! 🎉 Gather your friends, family, and kids for a day packed with fun activities like face painting, games, costume party with DJ, cookie decorating, and so much more!

We couldn't be more grateful for The Ramble's incredible support and their AMAZING music. 🎶 Don't miss out on a fantastic day of community, entertainment, and fun! See you there! 🎈✨

Find out more at https://www.casarockcounty.org/

When you realize fall and back to school are right around the corner! Fall shows are comin in hot next month! Where will we see you?

The work that we do here at CASA of Rock County can sometimes be difficult on the soul, but one benefit is being able to work side by side amazing women.

Thank you Erica and Life In Pink Photography for a fun photo shoot !

✨Make the choice to make a difference✨

Training starts September 10th, so be sure to submit your application soon to join a great group of people who are ready to be a voice.

Start here: https://www.casarockcounty.org/application

CASA of Rock County is excited to learn more about Peter's experience as a Foster Father at the National Conference in September!

As a boy he lived on the streets for years. Now he’s opened his home to kids as a single foster dad | CNN The nervous 11-year-old showed up at Peter Mutabazi’s doorstep around 3 a.m., wearing blue pajamas and a gray Batman blanket. Thus began a journey that would lead Mutabazi, a foster dad, to adopt the boy and two other children.

Are you wanting to make a difference in a child's life? Do you have a passion to help kid's in the foster care system? There's still time to apply to be part of our next training!

We are looking for people like YOU to join our team of amazing volunteers to advocate for a kiddos in the foster care system.

Apply now to be the change in a child's life. We look forward to meeting you!

Apply here: https://wi-rock.evintosolutions.com/VolunteerApplication

Or learn more at our website here: https://www.casarockcounty.org/

Save the Date!

Our annual Fall Festival is just 2 short months away on October 5th from noon-10pm at the Barn on Prairie. It's an all-day come-and-go event that has fun for everyone in the family! There will be live music, delicious food trucks, super fun kids activities (12pm-6pm), and much more!

Follow the link on our website to purchase your tickets ahead of time. Children 12 and under get in free, but make sure to still let us know they're coming! Stay tuned for our raffle prizes and tickets available soon!
https://www.casarockcounty.org/

The partnership we share with the United Way Blackhawk Region enhances our efforts to recruit, train and support volunteers that advocate for children facing challenging circumstances. Together, we work to help ensure that the children we serve have a voice and the opportunity for a brighter future. Thank you, United Way!

What a busy week last week for CASA staff and volunteers! We had a wonderful time at the Rock County Fair getting to see all the kids and families who stopped by. All the kiddos did an awesome job coloring, and congratulations to those who won a basket!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth to color and learn more about CASA! We hope to see you all at our Fall Festival (more info coming soon!) 😊

CASA's fair booth was in need of some upgrades, and thanks to The Home Depot's generous contribution, we were able to make that happen! Some of our staff members turned the yellow and brown walls into CASA's colors, navy blue and white, to give it the boost that it needed. Thank you again, Home Depot, for supporting CASA and being a community partner!

Nikky and Megan have been working hard setting up the CASA fair booth today. Be sure to say hello to staff and advocates this week.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated baskets for the coloring contest and to the generous donor who purchased all the volunteers admission ticket !

Congratulations to The Ramble for recently winning "Best Wisconsin Country Band" at the State Band Competition in Rhinelander, WI. What a huge accomplishment! CASA of Rock County looks forward to having you back again this year at our annual Fall Festival on October 5th!

Next week is fair week for the Rock County Fair! CASA of Rock County will have a booth (that we have newly remodeled!) there all week under the Grandstands where we will have a kids coloring contest, some awesome prizes, and more!

Stop by our booth to learn more about what we do and how you can help children in Foster Care in Rock County.

Anne Gordon is the Executive Director of CASA for Kids, serving La Crosse, Monroe, and Vernon Counties. Her personal experiences with childhood adversity fueled her passion for advocating for children facing similar challenges. Despite the hardships she endured, Anne maintained a belief in the inherent kindness of the world, which now drives her work in supporting vulnerable youth through CASA.

You can make a difference in a child's life by joining CASA as a volunteer advocate. Your support can help ensure that vulnerable children in our community have a voice and a chance for a brighter future.

Basics Cooperative of Janesville chose CASA of Rock County for their June Round-Up Campaign! We appreciate their donation and community partnership in supporting our mission and vision!

Thank you to all the Basics shoppers who rounded up to help children in Foster Care.

Happy 4th of July! CASA staff wishes everyone a happy and safe holiday weekend!

So, what does a CASA do, anyways?

A CASA spends time each month with the child, getting to know them so they can determine what is going to be in the child's best interest. They then advocate just that in the courtroom.

Follow this link to learn more about becoming an advocate: https://www.casarockcounty.org/application

We had a wonderful evening at The Looking Glass with our advocates. It’s nice to get to know each other outside of our role as a CASA.

If you haven’t had an opportunity to enjoy the patio at The Looking Glass be sure to stop by. Great food and an amazing staff!

Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity but not sure which one?
Do you have a passion for the wellbeing of children?
Are you looking to make a difference in a child's life?
Look no further! CASA of Rock County is looking for people like you to join our volunteers in advocating for the best interest of children.

Apply now to join our next training in September! We look forward to hearing your story as a CASA!
https://www.casarockcounty.org/application

Time sure does fly! This Friday, we're flashing back to December 2018 when we swore in our largest class of 14 volunteer advocates - along with Nikky and Alyssa. We sure would love to have our next training class surpass this record.

Our next training starts on September 10th and we look forward to having you there! To apply to become a volunteer, please visit our website at https://www.casarockcounty.org/application. See you there!

Help us in wishing the happiest of birthdays to Megan!!

Happy Father’s Day to all the different kinds of fathers out there!

At CASA of Rock County, we enjoy learning the different reasons that people decide to become advocates. There is no right or wrong reason to join our team, just a desire and commitment to making a positive impact on the life of a child who has experienced abuse and neglect.

Please join us in welcoming Silke, Kellie, Sam, and Andrew to our team of Advocates. They all said yes to their very first Rock County case last week!

Every ending leads to a new beginning, and this week we've been busy welcoming new members to the CASA team! Michelle Wilson, a dedicated CASA volunteer for 3 years, is now an Advocacy Supervisor. Megan Dillman, fresh from volunteer training, has joined us as our new Education and Outreach Coordinator. Additionally, after many years with CASA, Nikky Engleson has advanced to the role of Associate Director. Please join us in welcoming our new staff and congratulating Nikky!

Amidst our busy schedules, we finally had the opportunity to give our friend and colleague, Kelly Berg, a proper sendoff as she embarks on a new journey. Parting ways is never easy and we were filled with a mix of emotions – sadness to see her go, yet excitement for the adventures that lie ahead for her.
Good luck, Kelly! We can't wait to hear about the incredible things you achieve and remember, you'll always have a special place in the CASA family!

As May, National Foster Care Awareness Month, winds to a close - we would like to honor the selfless families who open their hearts and homes to children in need.

Thank you for your life-changing generosity. ❤

If you were unable to join us for our Annual Break The Cycle Luncheon you can learn more about Mike Tikkanen and the KARA (Kids at Risk Action)organization at www.invisiblechildren.org. For all of you who were able to attend, thank you so much for your support and passion for the vulnerable children in our county and country!

If you would like find out more ways you can support CASA or the efforts of KARA, please visit our website at casarockcounty.org or send us a message! We would love to help you get involved.