Henrico CASA

Our next Advocate Training begins this fall... so we'll be sharing the ins and outs of what to expect during training in our September blog posts. Spoiler alert - as an Advocate your professional knowledge will grow to include an understanding of the court system and child welfare system! Read more at buff.ly/3VnJhIA!

Each month, our Executive Director, Jeannine Panzera, shares a brief video message in our e-newsletter. You can sign-up to receive these monthly messages on our website: https://buff.ly/3Z4qO7F This month's message reflects on the needs of children going back to school... Watch below!

As we look to the upcoming school year, let us take inspiration from the Kappa Alpha Theta's who are returning to campus at University of Richmond and Randolph-Macon College. May their commitment to service be contagious! 

There are many 'Vigilant Voices' in our community, speaking up for the wellbeing of children. Today, Jeannine and Kristin chat with ⁠Mark Smith (Midas of Richmond) who is known for generously responding to needs in our community, especially the needs of vulnerable children and families. Mark's message? Small acts of kindness matter! (And really aren't that "small"!) Listen to their conversation here: https://buff.ly/3WlLB3B

#TBT #TBThursday Flashing back to a special swearing-in ceremony in March 2018. Chlo'e Edwards was sworn-in as a Court Appointed Advocate... after being served by CASA when she was a teenager. As a former CASA youth, Chloe knows the important role advocates play in changing children's lives. See Chloe explain the role of a CASA advocate in this video on YouTube: ▶️ https://buff.ly/3LoFRAJ *** Thanks for reminiscing with us during our 30th year celebration. We are so thankful for the amazing people who have helped us amplify the voices of 4,228 (and counting!) local children... children who would have otherwise gone unheard.

Meet Kay Hollandsworth, one of our amazing advocates who serves our community in MANY ways... We are so happy that she includes being a CASA advocate in her volunteerism.🎉 Kay's ability to LISTEN allows her to build meaningful relationships with the youth she serves. When Kay listens, people feel VALUED!!

Our team at Henrico CASA loves to read… and that includes our volunteer Ambassadors! In today's blog post, Gina Heckey, one of our 2024 CASA Ambassadors, shares her summer book recommendation: Hope's Boy. Read why Gina recommends this book by Andrew Bridge: https://buff.ly/3LZjn9U

#TBT #TBThursday In 2008, we were honored to be recognized in two BIG ways by the Family & Children's Trust Fund of Virginia (FACT)! 🏆 Henrico CASA, as an organization, was recognized for innovative community collaboration to prevent family violence. 🏆Donna Briggs, CASA Advocate, was recognized for her volunteerism with Henrico CASA. FACT envisions a world in which no one in Virginia experiences family violence and all children are safe... We share that vision and work towards a day where EVERY child has a safe home! *** Thanks for reminiscing with us during our 30th year celebration. We are so thankful for the amazing people who have helped us amplify the voices of 4,228 (and counting!) local children... children who would have otherwise gone unheard. 👏 🙌 🙏

While Shannon Mitchell is not new to our Board of Directors, or board involvement in general, she IS new to our role of Vice Chair! Shannon has a PhD in Economics from UVA and has held leadership roles for the economics faculty at VCU for several years. She is married to a fellow economist, has a rescue dog from Puerto Rico, and enjoys throwing pottery. Thank you, Shannon, for applying your skills and experiences to leading out Board. We appreciate you!

We are launching a new email series called “Mission Moments.” Not because we think you WANT another message in your inbox, but because you NEED this message. It serves as a reminder of what matters and is a celebration of what we can accomplish together. It is heartwarming, inspiring and motivating with the power to break through the daily mundane!