San Francisco CASA » What’s New! http://www.sfcasa.org For Children Thu, 30 Jul 2015 23:07:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3 Please Help Us Recruit More Volunteer CASAs http://www.sfcasa.org/2015/04/06/help-us-recruit-volunteers/ http://www.sfcasa.org/2015/04/06/help-us-recruit-volunteers/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2015 17:01:03 +0000 http://www.sfcasa.org/?p=4438 WE NEED YOUR HELP! With your experience as a CASA volunteer, you know that one of the best ways to help San Francisco’s foster youth is to provide them with a caring advocate and mentor. You also know there aren’t enough of us to meet the needs of our county’s foster children. We know that the best way […]

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]]> WE NEED YOUR HELP!

With your experience as a CASA volunteer, you know that one of the best ways to help San Francisco’s foster youth is to provide them with a caring advocate and mentor. You also know there aren’t enough of us to meet the needs of our county’s foster children.

We know that the best way to connect with potential volunteers is through our CASAs. Here are some suggestions of how you can help us recruit even more volunteers, so we can reach our goal of 100 new CASAs in 2015.

Host a CASA Party

Do you know any other CASAs? Are you friendly with other CASAs you were sworn in with? Host a party together! The only rule? Everyone must bring a friend–or three–that they think would make a great CASA. Give a presentation on CASA (or have one of our staff do it for you) and have a list of upcoming info sessions ready. Ask guests to sign up for and attend an info session as they’re leaving.

CONTACT US ABOUT HOSTING 

Share Your Volunteer Stories With Our Community

We want to hear why you like being a CASA, what drew you to the program, and what
kind of an impact SFCASA has had on you. We’re always looking for compelling stories
to share with potential CASAs on our blog and website.

SEND IN YOUR STORIES 

Use Alumni, Professional, Religious, and Interest Groups

Share volunteer experience with members of your professional circle by sharing links
to our site on LinkedIn. Talk to your communities or volunteer groups about our work. Speak
with our staff about arranging an orientation or info session at your office or alumni meeting place.

CONNECT WITH US ON LINKEDIN

Get Social (Media)

Make sure to follow us on our social media outlets! We’re constantly sharing news and updates on Twitter and Facebook. Please connect with us, then share our profile and posts with your own social network.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER

If each one of us recruits one CASA in 2015, we could double our impact and youth served by the end of the year!

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]]> http://www.sfcasa.org/2015/04/06/help-us-recruit-volunteers/feed/ 0 Congratulations to the First CASA Class of 2015! http://www.sfcasa.org/2015/03/16/casa-class-2015/ http://www.sfcasa.org/2015/03/16/casa-class-2015/#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2015 17:19:05 +0000 http://www.sfcasa.org/?p=4352  We’re thrilled to announce that our first CASA class of 2015 was sworn in yesterday by Judge Nancy Davis of the Unified Family Court! This class impressed us in several ways, from the record number of men (who will help serve our growing number of young male foster youth) to the four returning CASAs who became re-certified […]

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]]>  We’re thrilled to announce that our first CASA class of 2015 was sworn in yesterday by Judge Nancy Davis of the Unified Family Court!

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This class impressed us in several ways, from the record number of men (who will help serve our growing number of young male foster youth) to the four returning CASAs who became re-certified to continue their service. In total, we’re welcoming 28 CASAs to our team, 24 of whom were sworn in for the first time last night.

The hard work and dedication of these volunteers inspires us to continue our work every day. And as we continue to move towards our goal of training 100 new CASAs this year, we’re confident that our classes of 2015 will continue to impress us as they go out into the community.

While this is a great first milestone, we still have a long way to go. If you’re interested in becoming a CASA, simply attend an info session to begin the process of joining our Spring 2015 class. Know someone who would be a good addition to our program? Please take a minute to connect them with our work by sharing our volunteer page on social media, or encouraging them to follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Congratulations again to this incredible class! We can’t wait to see what you accomplish in the coming months. In the meantime, check out more photos from the swearing-in ceremony below.

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]]> http://www.sfcasa.org/2015/03/16/casa-class-2015/feed/ 0 It’s an Exciting Time Here at SFCASA! http://www.sfcasa.org/2015/02/23/its-an-exciting-time-for-sfcasa/ http://www.sfcasa.org/2015/02/23/its-an-exciting-time-for-sfcasa/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2015 00:48:32 +0000 http://www.sfcasa.org/?p=4327 A very happy belated 2015 to all our friends, volunteers, and contributors. This year has already brought plenty of excitement for SFCASA, thanks to our new 2015 volunteer training class. We’ve been recruiting lots of eager potential new volunteers thanks to the hard work and dedication of our new Recruitment and Training Specialist. We have […]

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]]> A very happy belated 2015 to all our friends, volunteers, and contributors.

This year has already brought plenty of excitement for SFCASA, thanks to our new 2015 volunteer training class. We’ve been recruiting lots of eager potential new volunteers thanks to the hard work and dedication of our new Recruitment and Training Specialist. We have a great, determined class of potential CASA’s beginning training, and we’re actively looking for even more interested people to join us in our spring training session. Visit our volunteer info page for more!

We’re also excited to gear up for our annual Fostering Change Gala. This year’s theme is Room without a Roof, celebrating the endless potential of each and every foster child. Music, entertainment, great food, and a live auction will make this a meaningful and memorable evening. Please visit our Gala website for more information, to preview our auction catalog, and to snag tickets before they sell out.

We can’t wait to see what 2015 has in store for our goals of helping even more foster youth in San Francisco. We hope you’ll come along for the ride!

 

 

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]]> http://www.sfcasa.org/2015/02/23/its-an-exciting-time-for-sfcasa/feed/ 0 Year-End Gift Matching is Extended! http://www.sfcasa.org/2014/11/21/gift-matching-2014/ http://www.sfcasa.org/2014/11/21/gift-matching-2014/#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2014 21:05:04 +0000 http://www.sfcasa.org/?p=4241 We are so grateful for the overwhelming response to the I&G Charitable Foundation’s matching grant – we met our goal and will receive the full $50,000 match! In response, long-time supporters Heather Hughes and John Botti offered to match all additional gifts made by December 31st, up to $30,000. Your donation will double in value, […]

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]]> We are so grateful for the overwhelming response to the I&G Charitable Foundation’s matching grant – we met our goal and will receive the full $50,000 match! In response, long-time supporters Heather Hughes and John Botti offered to match all additional gifts made by December 31st, up to $30,000. Your donation will double in value, doubling your gift’s  impact and the help you can provide for a youth in foster care. Help us make the most of this opportunity!

Make your gift online today and help ensure we receive the full $30,000 to match the youth on our waiting list with a volunteer CASA. Interested in helping to spread the word but don’t know where to get started? Join our fundraising team! Just visit our page on Razoo to begin the simple process of getting started. Then ask your friends, family, and colleagues to join the cause. Help us reach our new goal of $80,000 by year’s end!

With your help, we can make a tangible difference in the lives of youth in foster care. Join our Fundraising challenge and help us give back to the members of our community who need it most. What better way to spend the holiday season?

DONATE TODAY

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]]> http://www.sfcasa.org/2014/11/21/gift-matching-2014/feed/ 0 SFCASA’s own Gail Nebenzahl named California Volunteer of the Year http://www.sfcasa.org/2014/09/12/sfcasas-own-gail-nebenzahl-named-california-volunteer-of-the-year/ http://www.sfcasa.org/2014/09/12/sfcasas-own-gail-nebenzahl-named-california-volunteer-of-the-year/#comments Fri, 12 Sep 2014 15:00:31 +0000 http://www.sfcasa.org/?p=4159 Fourth generation San Franciscan Gail Nebenzahl was awarded the Governor’s California Volunteer of the Year Award at a ceremony in the Presidio on September 12, 2014. Nebenzahl recently completed her service as a board member of San Francisco CASA, after serving as a volunteer advocate. Since 2000, when Gail completed her 40 hours of training […]

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]]> Photo by Rick Camargo

Photo by Rick Camargo

Fourth generation San Franciscan Gail Nebenzahl was awarded the Governor’s California Volunteer of the Year Award at a ceremony in the Presidio on September 12, 2014. Nebenzahl recently completed her service as a board member of San Francisco CASA, after serving as a volunteer advocate. Since 2000, when Gail completed her 40 hours of training and was sworn in by a judge as a CASA, she has worked tirelessly to support the healthy development of children in foster care in San Francisco.

“Gail is the perfect role model of a committed California volunteer.  She is not only deeply passionate about foster youth, she also wants to get more people involved in the issue she cares so much about.  And she does all this with her trademark humility.” – Karen Baker, Chief Service Officer – CaliforniaVolunteers.

SFCASA’s executive director Renee Espinoza also shared “Every youth needs a consistent, supportive adult and Gail not only provided that role for her own family, and for three youth in the foster care system, she also recruited countless volunteers and raised funds to ensure that SFCASA could provide that advocacy and mentoring for hundreds of foster youth each year.”

When told of the Award, Gail said “I’m always hesitant to share the story of the work I’ve done, not just because it needs to be kept confidential but because I’m dealing with real people that I care about. I believe everyone in the family I’ve worked with deserves respect and I’d never want them to think that I do this for accolades. At the same time I believe every child in foster care should have a CASA and for that to happen, I know we need to spread the word widely. Being a CASA is a wonderful, rich experience for the volunteer advocate, as well!”

Read the full press release here.

San Francisco CASA is currently recruiting new advocates, with information sessions held regularly in San Francisco’s Mission district. Find the volunteer information session schedule here.

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]]> http://www.sfcasa.org/2014/09/12/sfcasas-own-gail-nebenzahl-named-california-volunteer-of-the-year/feed/ 0 2013-14 Accomplishments Highlighted in Annual Report http://www.sfcasa.org/2014/09/04/2013-14-accomplishments-highlighed-in-annual-report/ http://www.sfcasa.org/2014/09/04/2013-14-accomplishments-highlighed-in-annual-report/#comments Thu, 04 Sep 2014 17:17:42 +0000 http://www.sfcasa.org/?p=4119 San Francisco CASA’s just published 2013-14 Annual Report highlights the accomplishments made possible by a tremendous community of supporters, volunteer CASAs and generous donors. A few highlights: SFCASA volunteers contributed 14,193 hours to support 253 foster youth. SFCASA gathered more than 25 organizations, former foster youth , and advocates to improve services for young adults […]

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]]> San Francisco CASA’s just published 2013-14 Annual Report highlights the accomplishments made possible by a tremendous community of supporters, volunteer CASAs and generous donors. A few highlights:

  • SFCASA volunteers contributed 14,193 hours to support 253 foster youth.
  • SFCASA gathered more than 25 organizations, former foster youth , and advocates to improve services for young adults in extended foster care.
  • Thirteen SFCASA clients graduated from high school in spring 2014.
  • SFCASA ended the year with a surplus of nearly $175,000, rebuilding our reserve fund and providing capital to grow in 2014-15.
  • Fifty-six new volunteers completed the 46-hour training and were matched with a foster youth.

Read the complete report here and please share it with your friends and colleagues. A special thanks to designer Julie Pang and editor Tim Etheridge for their excellent work!

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]]> http://www.sfcasa.org/2014/09/04/2013-14-accomplishments-highlighed-in-annual-report/feed/ 0 SFCASA is looking for a Few Good Advocates! http://www.sfcasa.org/2014/07/18/sfcasa-board-to-honor-hedge-funds-carehelp-for-children-at-the-fostering-change-gala-jazz/ http://www.sfcasa.org/2014/07/18/sfcasa-board-to-honor-hedge-funds-carehelp-for-children-at-the-fostering-change-gala-jazz/#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2014 08:30:41 +0000 http://www.sfcasa.org/?p=3552 We are currently recruiting for our fall training class! Our next training session will take place in Fall 2014 and run for 7 weeks, every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6-9pm beginning 9/23/14 through our swearing in ceremony on 11/6/14.  Please RSVP for one of our information sessions. You can also email bethany@sfcasa.org.  

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]]> We are currently recruiting for our fall training class!

Our next training session will take place in Fall 2014 and run for 7 weeks, every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6-9pm beginning 9/23/14 through our swearing in ceremony on 11/6/14.  Please RSVP for one of our information sessions. You can also email bethany@sfcasa.org.

 

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]]> http://www.sfcasa.org/2014/07/18/sfcasa-board-to-honor-hedge-funds-carehelp-for-children-at-the-fostering-change-gala-jazz/feed/ 0