January Nonprofit: The CASA Project (and The Queen's Cups!)
/By Dani Babineau
Few things go together as well as cupcakes and beer - but one of those things is small businesses that donate all their tips to charity and other small businesses that donate all their tips to charity.
We’ve got a pairing made in heaven, here; to kick off our tipping for charity program in 2020, we’re teaming up with our friends (and one of our favorite local businesses), The Queen’s Cups.
Not that we, or anyone, ever needed another reason to visit this wonderful bakery, but they’ve been donating 100% of their tips to local nonprofits, and have just generally been a wonderful part of the community. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with them - and we have a really inspiring and important organization to support.
In January, we’re supporting The CASA Project, which helps thousands of foster children in the Worcester County courts system get the legal assistance and advocacy they need. This is an enormous undertaking carried out by The CASA Project’s small team and hundreds of dedicated volunteers, and it changes the lives of literally hundreds of kids each year.
To learn more, we talked to Robb Zarges, Executive Director at The CASA Project, about their process, how donations from customers will help, and how else folks can support them.
What’s the mission of The CASA Project and what does the organization do?
The mission of The CASA Project is to provide a volunteer court-appointed special advocate to every DCF foster child as needed in Worcester County. These CASA volunteers ensure that our community’s most vulnerable children - who have been victims of abuse and/or neglect – will be safe, have a permanent home, and the opportunity to thrive.
The CASA Project recruits, trains, and supervises volunteers (CASA/GALs) who are appointed by a judge to serve one child or sibling group at a time. CASA volunteers perform three essential functions to assist the Juvenile Court judges in making the best determination for each child:
1. Investigate and fact find, helping the judge learn the nuances of each child’s situation
2. Advocate for any medical, mental health, and educational services a child may need
3. Monitor case progress to guarantee the safety of the child while in state custody and to obtain a swift and effective resolution of the case: a safe and permanent home
As a result, these children have a voice in the court system and can grow up in a supportive and loving home with a sense of hope and a bright future.
Why is The CASA Project's mission important to the Worcester area?
On an average day in Worcester County, 1,700 abused, neglected, or exploited children live in foster care because they cannot live safely at home. All of the children are victims, and need a voice to ensure they grow up in a safe and permanent home. Nearly 800 arrive for help into our juvenile court system each year. Most of these children are younger than age 12 – nearly half are under six — and all are hurt, frightened, and confused. The average length of foster intervention for these children is 21 months, with an average of seven different placements over the course of that time. These children need a consistent, supportive adult in their lives to advocate for them and to look out for their best interests.
What has The CASA Project accomplished that you’re most proud of?
Since its founding in 1981, The CASA Project has provided thousands of children with the voice they needed in court. In 2018, CASA advocates served more than 900 children through the efforts of 325 local volunteers. These dedicated volunteers gave 15-20 hours of their time each month to advocate for our community’s most vulnerable children. In addition, together with community partners, the committed staff at CASA have been able to expand programming to address a number of needs for these populations, such as the “Fostering Futures Program” which facilitates the transition from foster care to adulthood for children ages 14-18 with limited chances for adoption. Working with a CASA volunteer, the child is provided with guidance and mentoring to better equip these vulnerable youth with essential life skills such as education, employment, physical/behavioral health maintenance, housing, and supportive relationships.
How might donations from Redemption Rock customers help The CASA Project in the future?
The CASA Project operates with a minimal staff of just ten employees on a shoestring budget with the help of hundreds of local volunteers. Every donation is critical to helping us in our mission to serve EVERY CHILD in foster care in Worcester County. For every $1,200 donated, one more child or sibling group can get a CASA volunteer of their own in 2019. The impact of your contributions will last a lifetime for the children we serve.
Do you have any upcoming events that people should know about?
On the evening of Friday, March 6, CASA is hosting the second annual Champions for Children cocktail reception at Mechanics Hall. This engaging, educational, and interactive event will honor devoted supporters, feature the true stories of children served by CASA volunteers, auctions, live music, and delectable local food. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available now on our website at www.thecasaproject.org. Follow us on social media (@casaprojectworcester) for updates on all upcoming events and volunteer training sessions!
