Author: admin
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Voices for CASA Children Hosts 5th Annual Superhero Family Fun Run & Festival
Local Nonprofit Partners with Arizona KIDS Consortium for Superhero Fun Run Benefiting Local Foster Children
Voices for CASA Children invites you to fly across the finish line during its fifth annual Superhero Family Fun Run & Festival at Kiwanis Park in Tempe. Participants can enjoy the Superhero Festival, including bounce house fun, carnival games, prizes, food trucks, and more. Mingle with supervillains, make arts and crafts, and test your speed in the Kids Dash.
This year, Voices for CASA Children is partnering with Arizona KIDS Consortium, an Arizona Commission Corporation that coordinates the recruitment of foster and adoptive homes in Maricopa County, to put on this event. All event proceeds go toward summer programs for foster youth living in Maricopa County. Additionally, representatives of the KIDS Consortium will be in attendance to answer questions about foster licensing.
WHAT: Don your cape for Voices for CASA Children’s 5th Annual Superhero Fun Run & Festival at Kiwanis Park in Tempe. Your super amazing participation will benefit more than 10,000 local foster children.
WHO: Superheroes of all ages
WHERE: Kiwanis Park – 5500 S Mill Ave, Tempe, AZ 85283
WHEN: Sunday, April 15 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
This fun event is for families and kids of all ages and all are encouraged to dress up as their favorite superhero. Event tickets are $10 for adults and free for kids.
Tickets can be purchased online. For more information about the event, visit www.voicesforcasachildren.org/events/.
About Voices for CASA Children
Voices for CASA Children is dedicated to bringing a voice to every abused or neglected child in state dependency and supports expansion of the CASA program in Maricopa County. VOICES was established in 2011 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For more information, visit us at: www.voicesforcasachildren.org. Follow us on Twitter and join us on Facebook.
About Arizona KIDS Consortium
KIDS Consortium is an Arizona Commission Corporation established for the purpose of coordinating the recruitment of foster and adoptive homes in Maricopa County. It is comprised of about 24 licensing agencies contracted with the Department of Child Safety and aims to collaborate as agencies and with community partners to provide quality foster and adoptive homes to improve the well-being of youth in foster care. For more information, please visit http://azkidsconsortium
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Fall in Love with Volunteerism this Month
Contributed by Adrian Jamieson, MPA, Volunteer Manager at Voices for CASA Children
There are lots of reasons to love volunteerism. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase “Doing well so that I can do good.” In the case of volunteerism, it’s almost the opposite: “doing good” makes you feel well… and happy. Just like exercising, volunteerism in service to others can release endorphins into your body, giving you that wonderful “glowing” sensation often associated with a great workout. In fact, studies actually show that volunteering can help mitigate chronic pain. (But wait – there’s more!) The benefits of volunteering go beyond making you feel great just today; there is also evidence that individuals who being volunteering earlier in their lives are less likely to be ill later in life and have lower mortality rates.
Think about that for a moment: volunteering can improve mental and emotional health, and ultimately lay the foundation for a happy life. Everyone benefits from acts of service.
Still, while we all want to volunteer because it is good for our communities and has some amazing health benefits, sometimes we need to be practical and thoughtful when deciding where and how to apportion our free time. There are three important guidelines to ensure that you will receive all the benefits of volunteerism:
Guideline 1: What’s your WHY? Know what you want in a volunteer role.
First and foremost, you need to know why you want to volunteer. Consider what you have to offer, and what is being offered to exercise your skill set. Maybe you are entirely altruistic, or maybe you need to build your resume. It could be both! Either way, this will affect how you search for and evaluate potential volunteer opportunities.
Guideline 2: Is this a short or long-term relationship?
You will also want to think about how much time you realistically are able to give. Are you looking for a one-time event or do you want to engage with an organization on a weekly or monthly basis? And, what are your passions? Do you love working with children? Do you have a special interest in ending homelessness, or do you want to educate your community about how to live a healthier life? Using your passion in service to others with a timeframe in mind is what can make a volunteer opportunity feel like true love. There are organizations out there that are looking for just what you want to offer! You just need to do a little groundwork to find them.
Guideline 3: Be realistic.
Now, it’s time to be honest. You’re in an organization’s office, warehouse, or coffee shop, and the volunteer manager says to you “So, tell me how you’d like to be involved.” It can be very tempting to get caught up in the “fluff” or idealism of this conversation and over commit, but now is the time to consult the questions you asked yourself in the first place. If you are honest about your expectations, availability, and goals, a volunteer manager should be able to tell you whether or not the organization has an appropriate role for you. Don’t feel badly if they don’t, but be grateful they are being honest with you. Remember, you are looking for a “true love” match here, and honesty is an important ingredient in any healthy relationship. And so is taking the time to find the right fit.
Volunteerism is a great use of your time; not only will it make you feel great, it will help you grow your network, learn new skills, share and find new passions, and it will provide substantial experience on your resume. When you can define your WHY and locate an organization you admire with which to have an honest conversation about expectations, you’ll recognize the right opportunity when it comes along. Kind of like finding true love. Once you’ve found the right volunteer opportunity for you, you’ll find that you will connect with the people around you. You’ll likely want to rearrange your schedule so that you can do more volunteering, and you’ll know that what your doing is having real impact on you and your community. Take the time to do it thoughtfully and intentionally, and soon you’ll be loving the way volunteerism makes you feel all year!
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Post Retirement, Bruce Arians Aims to Continue Supporting CASA, Children in Need
Originally Published on Fox10News.com
Following Bruce Arians’ decision to retire as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, the former coach could turn his attention to something else he’s very passionate about. CASAs, or “Court Appointed Special Advocates”, are a foster kid’s voice in court. The Arians FamilyFoundation, led by Bruce- his wife Christine, and son Jake, helps with bringing awareness and funding to those thinking about being a casa and to those who already are. Read more here.
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Voices for CASA Children Awarded $50,000 “Growth Grant” to Recruit 100’s More Court Appointed Special Advocates for Local Foster Children
Phoenix, Arizona – January 29, 2018
Voices for CASA Children has been awarded a $50,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities to continue its mission of providing a voice to youth in Maricopa County’s dependent care system. The grant, alongside the continuous generosity of the Arians Family Foundation, will help to significantly increase the number of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA volunteers) who are dedicated to abused or neglected children and who advocate for their best interests.
There are currently more than 500 CASA volunteers in Maricopa County. When compared to the over 10-thousand children in foster care in Maricopa County alone, that means less children are fortunate enough to be appointed a CASA volunteer than are needed. The goal of CASA of Maricopa County and Voices for CASA Children is to have a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for every child who needs one, and this grant will get one step closer to achieving that dream.
“The support from Thunderbirds Charities and the Arians Family Foundation are paramount to ensuring there are more volunteer advocates to help children find permanency,” says Voices for CASA Children’s Executive Director, Robin Pearson. “Our work of addressing the needs of vulnerable children would not be made possible without their help. We are so grateful; first for the $50,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities, and secondly for the ongoing support of the Arians Family Foundation. With each of their help, we will go far this year.”
“Voices for CASA Children has such a tremendous impact on the welfare of our children in foster care, helping them navigate the foster care system and providing the support that is critical for this vulnerable population,” said Andy Markham, President of Thunderbirds Charities. “We’re happy to assist in their efforts.”
Voices for CASA Children, CASA of Maricopa County and the Superior Court of Maricopa County have been diligently working together to identify ways to deepen their collaboration in order to best leverage community resources in support of the CASA Program and the children they serve. VOICES Board President Victoria Strayer speaks to this collaboration and the impact on growth: “We have executed a more formal agreement between VOICES and the Court. Soon the community will hear about enhanced support for CASA volunteers, expanded training opportunities, informational sessions designed to recruit many more CASA volunteers, and innovative practices such as Family Finding—all designed to strengthen the CASA Program and, most importantly, support the children so they too can have families, connections, and permanency. 2018 will be a year of community, hope and action.”
CASA provides front line advocacy for children in foster care, and CASA volunteers speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children whose futures are being decided during juvenile court proceedings. Voices for CASA Children is always recruiting new advocates to meet the high demand. For more information, visit www.voicesforcasachildren.org.
For more information about CASA of Maricopa County, visit http://www.maricopacasa.org.
About Voices for CASA Children:
Voices for CASA Children is dedicated to bringing a voice to every abused and neglected child in state dependency and supports expansion of the CASA program in Maricopa County. Voices was established in 2011 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For more information, visit us at: www.voicesforcasachildren.org. Follow us on Twitter and join us on Facebook.
About the Thunderbird/Thunderbirds Charaties:
Thunderbirds Charities is a non-profit organization formed in 1986 to distribute monies raised through the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament. The Thunderbirds Charities Board consists of 15 board members from varying professional backgrounds. The mission of Thunderbirds Charities is to assist children and families, help people in need and improve the quality of life in our communities. The organization’s giving is directed toward organizations based or with a significant presence in Arizona. The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 250 “life” members. For more information on the Thunderbirds or the 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com. For more information on Thunderbirds Charities, visit www.thunderbirdscharities.org.
About The Arians Family Foundation:
The Arians Family Foundation (AFF) was created in 2013 by Bruce and Christine Arians for reasons dear to their hearts. Christine worked for years as a family-law attorney, or as she describes, a “broken-family” attorney. She began working with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) to help ensure that children who are involved in the court system, as a result of abuse or neglect by their families, receive the help they need. The Arians Family Foundation seeks to continue helping others in their life journeys. AFF embodies the vision of a better future for children to live where they feel safe and loved. For more information about the Arians Family Foundation please visit www.ariansfamilyfoundation.com or call 310-426-9900.
For Voices for CASA Children media inquiries contact:
Alex Stevenson
PR Account Coordinator
Serendipit Consulting
www.serendipitconsulting.com
Cell: 480.319.0097
AStevenson@serendipitconsulting.comFor Arians Family Foundation media inquiries contact:
Daniel Almond
CMPR
Cell: 205.394.2575
daniel@cmpr.net
