“My mother paved the way for me on how to treat other people,” Allen says. “She has always been committed to helping others and has moved past all obstacles to succeed in life—she’s definitely a soldier!”
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“Irma just lights up a room when she enters it. She is so dedicated to getting the resources children need. Irma talks to everyone involved to get a full picture of the situation, files detailed reports and is so kind and generous to the families she serves. Irma exudes warmth and has boundless energy.”
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“Despite a crazy work schedule, she has established a bond with the children. She works hard to build a connection with each of them and with the case workers, relatives or other contacts and staffs in the residential homes where they live. Cori takes initiative and seeks guidance. She is tenacious in pushing for problem resolution and is totally dedicated to giving these children opportunities to thrive. Words cannot describe how great she is!”
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“Over the years, I have really enjoyed meeting the children and think I have been a positive force in their lives. I was the one constant presence for many of these children—the one who cared and stuck around.”
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“This year, we celebrate Jim Merlo as the anchor of CASA—he has for so long helped CASA pursue its mission of ensuring that through all the uncertainties, an abused or neglected child’s voice is heard. The need for volunteers, donors, and supporters is critical in making this a reality. But we could not do what we do without the knowledge, talent and commitment of Jim Merlo.”
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“I find work as an advocate very rewarding in that you can make a difference in a child’s life,” Clare said. “There is always something new, and even though the going can be tough with some cases, the CASA volunteer who sticks with it is often the only constant in a child’s life.”
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When asked what she’d say to others interested in being involved with CASA, Leonora stated, “When you have an opportunity to make an impact from behind the scenes and bring awareness to others [about CASA], you can’t help but to be part of that.”
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“Paul is amazing—a positive male role model for this child—he has shown this child that someone cares by listening and being attentive. More remarkable, Paul did this as a new volunteer using only virtual connections due to the pandemic.”
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“In that first call, a connection was made, and it did not matter that Janet and the child had never met face-to-face. Janet’s warmth, kindness and professionalism came through strong and clear. She proved we can do our jobs virtually if we continue to show how much we care about these children who need us so desperately.”
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“Mona is one of the most loving, most giving people I know. She is very smart, very caring and very upfront—you never have to worry about what Mona’s thinking. She cares deeply about the children she advocates for. There’s nothing she would not do to help them”
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CASA of St. Louis Board of Directors today named Jennifer V. Howard as its Chief Executive Officer and Cheryl Latham as Chief Program Officer.
CASA directors also announced the promotion of Shamele L. Hill as Director of Training and Volunteer Development and the staff additions of Ashley Bonner as Volunteer Engagement Specialist and Alecia Watts as Training Specialist. All three will be dedicated to volunteer recruitment and training at CASA.
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CASA of St. Louis CEO Jennifer V. Howard today announced recently elected members of the nonprofit organization’s board of directors. “These talented business and community leaders bring strong legal, financial and non-profit management expertise and experience to CASA,” said Howard. “They will be involved in a range of areas from program development to fundraising, finances and governance, and with the existing 8 board members will help us fulfil our mission to provide critical support and advocacy to children in foster care in the St. Louis City and County Circuit Courts.”
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“We have worked to build good rapport with this young man; we endeavored to show him that he could trust us and to show him his worth. We did not make any promises, but assured him that we had his best interest at heart and would do all we could to help him. This young man needed to know someone was there for him. He has really bloomed in the past two years. He is in a good place now, it’s a therapeutic home, and there are resources available to assist him in becoming a viable citizen,” - Albert Manson
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Meet Megan Ondr-Cooper, CASA of St. Louis’ Manager of Analysis and Outcomes. Megan has had a busy year! She wrote a blog series on Excel for The IllumiLab blog, served as a guest panelist for Washington University’s Post-Master’s Certificate in Program Evaluation, is the leader for a new National CASA Association sub-committee for developing outcome measures, and was elected to the board of the Evaluation Association of St. Louis.
Megan took some time to answer a few questions about her work!
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Meet our newest class of CASA volunteers! On July 12, we happily welcomed 10 new Court Appointed Special Advocates to the CASA team. The Honorable Steven R. Ohmer, St. Louis City Family Court administrative judge, performed the swearing in and spoke to the importance and value of the CASA work.
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Children and youth in foster care often have most of their decisions made for them. Where they live. Where they go to school. If and when they will see their family. Imagine having little to no control over the most basic aspects of your life. Naturally, it can feel overwhelming, frustrating, and disheartening to feel like no decision is your own. It can quickly feel as if things are spiraling out of control.
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