Letter from the Board President

Michael Beckett Chairman of the Board

They are children and they need our help to get to a better tomorrow.
Dear CASA friends,

Thank you for your continued support of the CASA/GAL Program of Summit County. The Board is pleased to support the CASA Program through various fundraising efforts. In August, you helped us celebrate our volunteers and brave CASA kids at the "Each One, Reach One" event at the Akron Art Museum. At the "I Am For the Child" breakfast in October, we shared with you the challenge of the...
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2017 Impact

We helped
1000
0
Child Victims of abuse & neglect
401
0
Cases as Guardian Ad Litem

2017 Financial Information

The work of the CASA/GAL Program of Summit County is significantly enhanced by financial support from many generous donors. The CASA Volunteer Board Association sincerely thanks all of our financial supporters in 2017.

Revenue

Total Revenue 360102 0

  • 60% Foundation & Corporate Grants
  • 29% Fundraising
  • 11% Individual Contribution
  • .4% Misc. Revenue

Expenses

Total Expenses 278780 0

  • 49% Volunteer Support & Retention
  • 19% Program
  • 14% Training
  • 9% General & Administration
  • 8% Fundraising Expenses

Through the work of caring and dedicated volunteers, we will advocate for all children in need until they receive safe, permanent and nurturing homes.

Volunteer Spotlight

Cheryl Hoover

Cheryl Hoover has always had a heart for children. She has been a CASA volunteer with Summit County for almost fifteen years, and during this time she has served forty-five children. Cheryl is also a director of a local preschool. Cheryl's personality lends itself to being a strong advocate for every child she meets, but this year something truly extraordinary...

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Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.

Thank you to all CASA Volunteers!

We send our appreciation and gratitude to all of the selfless people who helped make 2018 a successful year. We couldn’t have done it without you!
See Volunteers

2017 Board of Trustees

Michael Beckett, Esq.
Chairman of the Board
State & Federal Communications

David Bouffard
Immediate Past President/
Chairman of the Board
Signet Jewelers

Kimberly Haws-Falasco
Vice Chair
Haws Falasco Group

Susan Lines
Board Treasurer
CBRE

Kimberly Ray
Secretary
PNC Financial Services

Beth Cardina
President/Executive Director
CASA/GAL Program of Summit County

Jeannette Andreski
Publicity Committee Member
Akron Zoological Park

Norm Christopher, M.D.
Board Member
Akron Children’s Hospital

Meredith Davis
Board Member,
Fundraising Committee Member
FedEx Supply Chain

Naomi Ganoe
Board Member,
Fundraising Committee Member
CBIZ MHM, LLC

Angie Holmes
Board Member and CASA/GAL Volunteer
Attorney

Jennifer Oldham
Co-Chair of Volunteer Retention
and Recognition Committee
Oldham Company, LLC

Sandra Noll
Fundraising Co-Chair

Megan Raber
Board Member
City of Tallmadge

Karen Schofield
Co-Chair of Volunteer Retention
and Recognition Committee;
CASA/GAL Volunteer

Pamela Sayre
Board Member
First American Title

Jennifer Syx
Board Member
inSITE Advisory Group, LLC

CASA Staff Members

Beth Cardina
Program Director

Lora Mycoskie
Administrative Assistant

Kandy Monroe
Lead Volunteer Coordinator

Tammy Barnes
Volunteer Coordinator

Chris Brown
Volunteer Coordinator

Sarah Harvan
Pre-Service Trainer/Volunteer Coordinator

Karen Holmes
Volunteer Coordinator

Bathsheba Phillips
Volunteer Coordinator

Lisa Rotondo
Volunteer Coordinator

Alan Futo
Lead Child Advocate

Pamela Bennett
Child Advocate

Renee Conlon
Social Worker GAL

Chad Horstman
Child Advocate

Bethany Lee
Child Advocate

Christina Bollman
CASA Staff Attorney

Holly Farah
CASA Staff Attorney

Joe Kernan
CASA Staff Attorney

Jasmyne Wilson
Child Advocate

Jasmine Harris
Child Advocate

In Summit County, there are 1069 children involved in the court system primarily as a result of abuse or neglect.

At CASA, our goal is to see each of those children get the care and advocacy they need.

Our Mission

In 1993, the CASA Board Volunteer Association, Inc. was established to further the mission and support the work of the CASA/GAL Program of Summit County, Ohio. The Board partners with the Program by raising and administering funds for: enhanced programming, personnel support, promoting public awareness of the CASA Program, and recognizing the efforts of CASA's heroic volunteers.

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Letter from the Board President

Dear CASA friends,

Thank you for your continued support of the CASA/GAL Program of Summit County.

The Board is pleased to support the CASA Program through various fundraising efforts. In August, you helped us celebrate our volunteers and brave CASA kids at the "Each One, Reach One" event at the Akron Art Museum. At the "I Am For the Child" breakfast in October, we shared with you the challenge of the opioid crisis and how the CASA Program's mission and work can address the needs of the epidemic's most vulnerable victims.

This past year was a very challenging time for our community and region. We find ourselves in the grips of an opioid epidemic that has produced a silent class of victims. They are children, and they need our help to get to a better tomorrow.

As the year progressed, the Board was faced with a rising level of new cases and a dwindling number of new volunteers. But thanks to your generosity and a sizable grant from Ohio CASA, the Board found itself in a strong financial position. With funds available, the Board developed and executed volunteer recruitment and retention strategies to match the growing needs of the CASA Program of Summit County.

To raise community awareness, we entered into an agreement for social media marketing services. To recruit volunteers, we brought on two qualified individuals to seek out and build relationships with potential volunteers. To better retrain volunteers, we increased correspondence and provided gas cards for volunteer birthdays. These actions have set us on a course to ensure a trained community volunteer is available for every child who enters the court system as a result of allegations of abuse, neglect, and dependency.

Please remember that you can continue to help in several ways: become a CASA volunteer; assist with fundraisers, trainings and/or special events; join us on the Board or as an advisory committee member; or give a charitable donation.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

I am for the child,
Michael Beckett
Chairman of the Board

Volunteer Spotlight:
Cheryl Hoover

Cheryl Hoover has always had a heart for children. She has been a CASA volunteer with Summit County for almost fifteen years, and during this time she has served forty-five children. Cheryl is also a director of a local preschool. Cheryl's personality lends itself to being a strong advocate for every child she meets, but this year something truly extraordinary occurred.

Cheryl was assigned to Luke*, who from an early age had been in and out of the temporary custody of Children Services, and during his childhood, had been in nine different schools. He was eventually placed in a shelter care facility where he was parented by a positive male role model and a nurturing female. Along with the consistency of his placement, and the commitment of his CASA Volunteer, Luke's grades started to improve, he began to participate in extracurricular activities. He was starting to feel like "a normal teenager." In the meantime, his mother completed her case plan and was looking forward to reunification. The only problem was that Luke would need to switch schools once again, and the likelihood of him being able to participate in the extra activities—which were so important to him—was very low. The staff of his school became aware of the situation, and Luke's behavioral intervention specialist (who also happens to be a foster parent!) contacted Cheryl and his social worker to inquire if he could reside with her family until the school year was over. This did not look like a viable option, because the juvenile court case was at its time limit and a permanent disposition needed to be made. This situation meant that Luke needed to return to his mother's care or a permanent custody motion needed to be filed. Cheryl knew permanent custody was not an option since Luke's mother had completed her case plan goals. Cheryl began to "think outside the box," and made a suggestion to have Luke's mother and the behavior intervention specialist "share custody" of him. To her surprise, and the delight of Luke, all parties agreed to this arrangement!

Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story. Today Luke is doing remarkably well. He is involved with the wrestling team and participated in the sectional tournament. His grades are good and he was able to attend prom. He is preparing to take the ACT and SAT, and all indications are he is on target to attend college.

So many children the CASA Program serve have the potential to do great things. In the words of Josh Shipp, the author of The Teen's Guide to World Domination and a former at-risk foster kid turned youth advocate, "Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story." In this success story, Cheryl was that adult.

* Name has been changed

Thank You to Our CASA Volunteers!

20+ YEARS

Linda Sell
Ethel Fox
Mary Ann Freedman

15+ YEARS

Annette Powers
Gina D'Aurelio
Marie Libby
Ronald Gatts
Rosemary Filisky
Susan Packard
Linda Butcher
Nicholas Marion
Elizabeth Regan
Jennie Williams

10+ YEARS

Tony Paxton
Linda Sinar
Elizabeth Abbott
Amanda Carroll
Mary Anne Kickel
Susan McFarland-Gump
Cheryl Hoover
Denise Ferguson
Becky Turner
Stephanie Summer
Ronnie Kramer
Philip Smith
Brad Bowers
Madeline Lepidi-Carino
Rhea Marcinko
Mary Quinn
Jacqueline Stringer
Greogy Dortch
Rebecca Duecker
Laura Cingle

5+ YEARS

Kandee Robinson
Janet Osborne
Bill Breiding
Karen Schofield
Elizabeth Gambone
Jeremy Szucs
Beth Blackmore
David La Guardia
Judi Hill
Lisa Menicini
Jacky Harsch
Stacey Letner
Katya Bissell
Cynthia Robinson
Wesley Buchanan
Lynn Rossmeissl
Lisa Sprague
Joan Fedak
Kathy Predieri
Vernonica Berger
Nancy Fry
Meredith Hooker
Deborah Luchka
Jay Schmidt
Dianne Curtis
Erica Thomas
Lani Tower
Stephanie Davis
Sally Prentice
Linda Loveland
Willian Dammarell
Shelia Smith
Tina Wagner
Angela Eckman
Dianne Nank
Callie Channell
Jessica Lach
Angela Davis
Meaghan Quinn
Theresa Tolson
Rebecca Black
Laurie Boveington
Jacqui Ricchiuti
Kimberley Strawman
Judith Garncarek
Jonathan Harrison
Anne Laux
Sarah Rosenberger
Susan Piper
Cara Ford

3+ YEARS

Heidi LaVoie
Sarah Wilinski
Diane Caslin
Antoinette Marotto
Jaeda Dancy
Kathie Konvolinka
Randall Bray
Linda Fiatal
Michele Tomer
Beth Campana
Tia Payne
Barbara Varone
Matthew Erulkar
Rich Kilo
Erin Zito
Manna
Robert Kline
Joshua Lemerman
Arlina Ivery
Paula Davis
Cynthia Dallke
Sarah Hulburt
Jay Jasani
Nowar Katirji
William Roberts
Caitlin Sutherland
Samantha Thompson
Peter Zeigler
Pamela Hawkins
Francesca Cario
Victor Chukwudelunzu
Carolynn Coleman
David Hamiltan
Jennifer Oldham
Tracy Moore
Jason Sonntag
Angelina Gingo
Sallie Moledor
Jennifer Schartiger
Danielle Kern
Samantha Weaver
Clinton Householder
Camisha James-Bitting
Jamison Johnson
Kristopher Immel
Alan Medvick
Lesli Paoletti
Loucile Powers
Benjamin Ayers
Justin Barnhart
Victoria White
Kaitlin Caesar
Bessie Durr
Paul Hayburn
David Madjerich
Julie Miller
Valerie Quinata
Christina Tait
David Whitehurst
Amber Zwick
Haleina Pouncey
Simrath-Leeza Kahai
Candice Pidala
Nicholas Cota
Meghan Curry
Marion Frank
Linda Nay
Colleen Rosen
Victoria Webb

New Volunteers

Amber Crowe
Sharon Clark
Jessica Headley
Gina Major
Amanda Woodyard
Laura Quine
Aviva Wilcher
John Bee
Sharon Hasek
Elizabeth Ludtke
Susan Macken
Kristin Daneshgari
Naomi Ganoe
Sarah Martin
Hannah Middleton
Karen Pateos
Alyssa Recek
Hannah Servedio
Rosaleen Spalding
Paula Stover-Avritt
Katherine Vanke
Susan Figler
Veronica Bevan
Anna Brown
Lydia Kraszewski
Mary Beth Pelc
Kimberly Spoonhower
Kelley Cerroni
Joellen Bury
Allyson Himmelright
Kim Sethna
Kaylene Trimmer
Kevin Urtz
Marie Willis
Joseph Arriaga
Sarah Kotlar
Jennifer Mancuso
Meighan Mills
Kesia Newbrough
Jonathon Prochnow
Haleigh Shammo
Michele Frola
Geoffrey Auerbach
Henry Agbor-Baiyee
David Arman
Cherianne Bender
Marc Chenowith
Lucinda Donze
Maria Duvuvuei
Jane Alexandra Hull
Erin Karski
Michael McKinley
Richard Marcinik
Ann Meszaros
Stephen Neumeyer
Ann Marie O'Brien
Christopher Ryba
Kyle Sondereker
Sarah Spade
Tameaka Taylor
Cinnamon Young