Raising Awareness for Vulnerable Children

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My Vision for Henrico CASA

By Betsy Beach | January 14, 2022

It’s funny how events in your life can make your vision clearer or more obscured.  I was fortunate to grow up in a home where I was safe. However, before I even turned ten I realized that not everyone is that fortunate. At that time, my parents became the legal guardians of my cousins, who…

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CASA Volunteers Improve Well-Being

By Kristin Blalock | January 7, 2022

In working towards Henrico CASA’s vision that all children in Henrico County live in safe and stable homes, we are continually exploring and evaluating the concept of a child’s well-being. Well-being is defined as the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy. That seems a bit subjective. So how do we measure it? The Annie…

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New Year’s Resolutions: Volunteer with Henrico CASA

By Kristin Blalock | January 1, 2022

It’s that time of year, yet again, when many of us pause to consider New Year’s Resolutions. Some of us set specific goals, big and small. Others pick a theme word to focus on for the year. And a few of us skip the process all together knowing follow-through wanes! Can we reframe the resolution…

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CASA Volunteers Help Children AND Their Families

By Kristin Blalock | December 21, 2021

You know CASA for helping children – and that’s what we do, wholeheartedly. We work for the best interest of every child appointed to us. While serving children, we are also often serving their families… because a child who is abused and/or neglected represents an entire family that is in crisis. The families we see…

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Donate to Help CASA Give Children Bright Futures

By Kristin Blalock | December 15, 2021

“I couldn’t have done it without you.” Those words, spoken at graduation from Lexi* to her CASA volunteer, pinpoint an end and a beginning. These words were the end to discouragement and anger, escalating conflict and provocation. For years, Lexi had been unable to see beyond her anger that was fueled by irreconcilable differences with her…

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Donate to Help CASA Give Children Happy Childhoods

By Kristin Blalock | December 12, 2021

A child’s bond with their mother runs deep. It can be complicated when a mother is struggling to meet her child’s needs.    While under their mother’s care, Madi* and her sister were found hurt and wandering outside, alone at night. The girls had a biological father who was granted full custody and able to provide…

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Donate to Help Henrico CASA Give Children Safe Homes

By Kristin Blalock | December 3, 2021

We could all use a cheerleader from time to time. A source of positivity and encouragement, perhaps even someone who holds up bright, colorful signs to remind us of our worth. James, Nate and Aubrey* have been experiencing this type of encouragement thanks to their CASA.  This sibling group was found living in an UHaul…

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Henrico CASA Volunteers Give the Gift of Time

By Jeannine Panzera | November 25, 2021

As I began to write this post, I was not sure I could articulate the actual definition of time. There are certainly many things that come to mind – the time of day, a moment in time, not enough time. This makes time a complicated word. It is a word that in one breath can…

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CASA Volunteers Have a Heart for Service

By Kristin Blalock | November 19, 2021

We so appreciate our volunteers who wholeheartedly serve children and families in Henrico County. Our volunteers’ love for kids, combined with their empathy and compassion, drives them to help families in meaningful ways. You may be picturing their service as something grandiose. However, it’s the little things – the things we are all capable of…

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CASA Volunteers Show Compassion and Empathy

By Trish Stewart | November 12, 2021

There are a number of reactions that people have when a child in our community is in emotional pain due to a crisis and/or conflict in their life. The reactions may range from apathy to sympathy, empathy to compassion. Apathy is the more negative reaction because it’s a way of not caring about what happens…