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CASA
Receives National Certification
Seasonal
Gifts and Tax Deductions
CASA 101
Informational Sessions
Meet Our New Director
CASA Wish List
Monthly Newsletter
New
CASAs Complete Training |
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Welcome to Cape Girardeau area CASA
Online!
CASA Volunteers are special people who
represent the needs of children - and only the children - in court
cases involving abuse and/or neglect in the 32nd Judicial Circuit. As such,
CASA volunteers serve as the eyes and ears of the judge, gathering
relevant information about the child and the family, and then make
recommendations to the judge regarding what is in the child's
best interests.
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Why
does a child need a CASA volunteer?
When
the court is making decisions that will affect a child's future, the
child needs and deserves a spokesperson - an objective adult to
provide independent information about the best interests of the
child. While other parties in the case are concerned about the
child, they also have other interests. The CASA volunteer is
the only person in the case whose sole concern is the best interest
of the child. CASA volunteers are assigned one case at a time to provide a "voice in
court". A CASA volunteer gives individual attention to
each case.
An
abused or neglected child has come from a world of chaos and
instability. For the child, there is fear; fear of being hurt;
fear of being alone and fear about the future. For children
who are in and out of home placements, there can be many changes in
schools and homes before a decision is made on where the child
should live. A CASA volunteer can be the source of
stability and comfort to fill an enormous void in the child's
life. A CASA volunteer is a trusted, dependable adult who
doesn't go away and who gives the child hope for a better future.
For
more Questions and Answers click on Volunteer FAQ.
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2009 Swearing In
Ceremonies
CASA Monthly Newsletter
Let
Us Make a Presentation to Your Members
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You can't
control where abused children come from, but you can have
something to do with where they end up.
Volunteers
Needed!
Cape Girardeau
County Area
Speak Up for a
Child
573-335-1726 |
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CASA
Honors Their Volunteers |
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CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southeast Missouri, Inc.)
held an appreciation dinner at Southeast Missouri Hospital in honor of their volunteers and their dedication to the abused and neglected
children of Southeast Missouri. The event included dinner provided
by Southeast Missouri Hospital and an awards program. The guest
speaker was the Honorable Scott E. Thomsen. |
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Judge Thomsen discussed the role of CASA in the Juvenile Court
System and stressed the importance of the information provided by
CASA volunteers. Year after year, dedicated citizens come forward to
volunteer with CASA and for that, CASA is grateful. Being a CASA
volunteer can be demanding and does requires commitment in time and
effort. The rewards, though, are significant and often the results
have a lifelong impact upon those children. We are truly blessed!
Pictured from left to
right: Standing: Connie Houston, Sybil Walley, Eileen Schlichting,
Chris Tourville, Pat Edwards, Linda Reutzel, Julie & Carl Boitnott,
Shervana Small, Sue Crossen and Sue Rees. Seated are Sue Traw,
Elizabeth “Boots” Jessup, Sheryl Dunavan, Carolyn Pendergrass, Connie Unterreiner, Elaine Jackson, and Jeanine Hager. Those not
present: Mary Ambery, Larry Bill, Jan Copeland, Joan Drury, Aaron Horrell, Darlene Jennings,
Clarice Jones, Heather Perreault, Natalie & James Ricks,
Melissa Rose, Sara Ryan, Cathy Schroeder, Judy Seabaugh, Phyllis
Severs, Pat Sweeney, Chris Tourville, Kerry Wallaert, and Amond
Williams. |
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Meet Our New Director
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CASA is pleased to
announce Linda Nash has joined our organization as Executive
Director.
Linda Clark Nash is a
native of Southeast Missouri. She graduated from Southeast
Missouri State University with a B.S. degree in Secondary Education
and a M.A. in History, and taught history at Jackson High School for
31 years. For the past five years, she has served as the
executive director of two U.S. Department of Education professional
development grants which she wrote. The grant serves history
teachers from a thirteen district consortium in Southeast Missouri
which is headed by the Jackson RII district in partnership with
Southeast Missouri State University. |
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Linda serves as
acquisitions and exhibits coordinator for the Red House
Interpretive Center where she also serves on the Board of
Directors. She is married to Phillip Nash and has two children
and five step children. The Nash's live in Jackson, Missouri. |
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New CASAs Complete
Training |
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Judge Peter Statler
swore in 8 new volunteers for CASA, Court Appointed Special
Advocates for children. They join the CASA programs current 32
volunteers, bringing the total to 40 volunteers for the Cape
Girardeau, Bollinger, and Perry counties. CASA volunteers are
officers of the 32nd Judicial Court in Cape Girardeau,
Bollinger, and Perry Counties.
The new volunteers
took an oath to do their best to protect and defend the rights of
the children they will represent. These volunteers have completed 30
hours of special training, which is required in order to become a
CASA volunteer in the court system. The mission for CASA of
Southeast Missouri is to provide well-trained court appointed
volunteers to serve as advocates for abused and neglected children
under jurisdiction of the 32nd Judicial Circuit Juvenile Court.
Through the four key aspects of CASA advocacy: Investigation,
Mediation, Reporting and Monitoring the CASA volunteer ensures that
the children’s immediate and long-term needs are being met while in
foster care and work to secure a healthy permanent placement for
these children.
Pictured left to
right (above):
Rosalie Archer, Verna Downen, Ron
Hahn, Kay Lowery, Danielle Nagel, Jayne Shoptaw, Elmer Trapp, and
Judge Peter Statler.
Pictured left to
right (left): Edie Steger was
sworn in by the Honorable Judge Statler. |
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CASA Monthly Newsletter
CASA's June Newsletter is available as a PDF document for you to
download. To download the document,
click here.
Past issues of the
CASA Newsletter are also available to download. For a complete
listing, click here.
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Let
Us Make a Presentation to Your Members
We would like to come
and speak to your civic, fraternal, or community organization about
our mission and goals. Please contact us
to have
one of our staff or board members make a presentation to your
membership.
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Caring
Citizens:
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