By Bill Boyarsky | June  8, 2013 11:33 AM

 

CASA June Sale is pictured above with Councilman Tom LaBonge

I drove over to the Van Nuys city hall Friday to see my friend June Sale honored by the Los Angeles City Council for her decades helping children.  It was a fine event both for June and for the way it called attention to the work of people assisting foster children and youngsters who need after school care.

Of all these people, June is one of the most remarkable.  At the age of 89, she often drives from her Los Angeles home to places as far away as Lancaster to check up on and counsel foster children as a volunteer for the county’s Court Appointed Special Advocate program.  These trained volunteers, appointed by judges, visit foster children in homes, following them about as they go from home to home, handling some of the most difficult cases, including abused youngsters. June told me she was presently looking after a two and a three year old.

On Friday, she was honored for yet another activity, her years of service to LA’s Best, the organization formed by Mayor Tom Bradley to provide after-school care for elementary school students.  It now provides care for 28,000 boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 12.

After being introduced and praised by Councilman Tom LaBonge, June spoke briefly, keeping within the two minutes allocated her, devoting her time to praising the women and men who have worked with her over the years. Looking on was her husband Sam, family members and many friends.  She and Sam are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary this weekend.

I got to know them several years ago on a theater tour of London. Sam noticed my daily habit of buying several papers, bringing them into breakfast in the hotel dining room, giving some to my wife Nancy and then reading without talking to anyone. He found my behavior odd.  Nevertheless, we got to talking, and saw we shared an interest in politics and college sports. The four of us have been friends ever since.

These children’s programs in which June and her fellow volunteers participate are vital to Los Angeles County and to the rest of the nation.

The Republican-caused sequestration of federal funds has eliminated funding for after- school programs.  LA’s Best and other programs will have to work hard to even slightly fill the gap.

Amid all this, it’s good to know that people like June Sale are quietly making life better for children who need help.

Organization Overview

CASA of Los Angeles supports volunteers who help abused and neglected foster children in court and the community.  A CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocate, is a trained and supervised volunteer, appointed by a judge to advocate for a foster child.  CASA of Los Angeles actively recruits, trains and engages these volunteers.

Overview of Program Position

CASA’s Antelope Valley office is seeking a highly motivated and organized individual to help support Volunteer & Outreach Services in their goal of successfully recruiting, training and supporting volunteers for the Antelope Valley region. The Volunteer Outreach Coordinator will be creative and resourceful and will share the passion for CASA’s mission.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Respond to volunteer inquiries/requests for information effectively and efficiently
• Maintain and update volunteer records in the database
• Responsible for reviewing volunteer applications, the organization of volunteer applicant interviews and to assist with interviewing volunteer applicants.
• Track volunteer applications, and monitor compliance requirements.
• Assist with coordination, preparation and facilitation of volunteer trainings and information sessions.
• Seek out opportunities to promote CASA in the community through outreach.
• Assist with activities that provide support and appreciation of volunteers.
• Maintain appropriate presence and communication through social networking sites.
• Represent CASA at community meetings and participate in off-site recruitment/promotional events.

Candidate Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• At least 2 years’ experience working in an administrative/volunteer support role.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment.
• Highly proficient in MS Office with a minimum typing speed of 40 wpm.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to multi-task.
• Ability to work and make decisions independently and to be highly resourceful.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends for CASA trainings and events

Preferred

• Event planning and implementation experience.
• Experience working with volunteers.
• Experience in the field of child welfare, juvenile law, non-profit or volunteer program management.
• Experience working with social networking sites.
• Spanish speaking.

Please email cover letter and resume to careers@casala.org

CASA of Los Angeles is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering diversity within its staff.

When Rory Hutton and Roberta Bloom heard that a couple in Colorado was interested in adopting all five siblings for whom they were Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs), their first reaction was disbelief.

“I really needed to talk to these people,” Rory says. “Who were they? What were they all about? Why did they want five children, one of whom had a serious disability? I had lots and lots of questions, some of which probably seemed rude.”

Rory’s role, after all, was to advocate for what was best for the kids, and neither she nor Roberta had ever heard of a family adopting five children simultaneously.

In the end, however, it wouldn’t take a miracle to make it happen, just the core work of a CASA.

To begin the process, the children were placed in foster care with Tom and Chris. Through a special donation from a CASA supporter, Rory spent a week in Colorado with the family. She carpooled with them, attended the kids’ doctor’s appointments, talked with their teachers. She watched as Tom and Chris assigned chores and granted privileges. She saw the eagerness with which they filled three shopping carts and ran 15 loads of laundry each week. And she noted with great interest that little Andrew had taken to falling asleep on Tom’s shoulder while the family watched movies in the evenings.

The adoption papers were signed a couple months later, and what is expected to be a final hearing for the children—now ages 15, 14, 12, 9, and 7—is set for July.

Such a quick and favorable outcome was made possible by the extraordinary dedication and perception of Rory and Roberta, as well as the generosity of people like you.

If you’ve never made a donation to CASA of Los Angeles, we hope you will take this occasion to do so by clicking here or calling 323.859.2888.

And, for a limited time, the John Gogian Family Foundation will match total gifts from new donors up to $25,000!

Please help CASA of Los Angeles take full advantage of this generous offer by donating now. And spread the word about this special opportunity by using the sharing buttons above.

With your support, we can one day provide a CASA to every child who needs one. Please make a donation today!

* For reasons of privacy and confidentiality, names and several other identifying details have been changed.

Los Angeles, CA, June 7th, 2013 — CASA of Los Angeles is very proud to announce that one of its most dedicated volunteers, Taryn Rudow, has been named “Volunteer of the Year.” The award was presented at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, which took place Wednesday at the California Endowment in Downtown Los Angeles. Superior Court Commissioner Jacqueline Lewis, who nominated Ms. Rudow, was on hand to present the award.

Taryn Rudow has worked with CASA for 9 years, taking on some of the toughest cases in the system. The 2013 Volunteer of the Year recipient has worked with three siblings during her time with the organization, and continues to provide support to them, despite one of the youths having “aged out” of the system at 21.

“Taryn is a noteworthy example of what it means to be a CASA,” said CASA Executive Director Dilys Garcia. “What all of our volunteers do is not easy and there isn’t always a happy ending. It is the daily dedication to making the life of a child better that defines a CASA, and Taryn Rudow has proven to be a pillar of that dedication in our organization.”

“I’m honored to receive this accolade, which I share with every CASA volunteer for what we all do, every day,” said Taryn Rudow. “Saying CASA is important is an understatement. There is a whole section of lost children that society ignores, and they need our support. I know that I feel as many of us do; that even though these aren’t our children, we still care deeply for them and we will do everything in our power to chase that happy ending and ensure them a bright future.”

Ms. Rudow is the mother of two children, one of which, Kyle, tragically died at the age of 20 in an automobile accident. Turning tragedy into charity, Taryn Rudow and her family established the KP Memorial Fund, which hosts an annual golf tournament in Calabasas, CA, raising over $300,000 to date for regional nonprofits. CASA/LA is one of the organizations to receive proceeds from the tournament, totaling over $80,000 over the past 10 years. The tenth annual Kyle Rudow Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, June 17.

Pictures from the event are available upon request. Contact Brian McWilliams of Spelling Communications – bmcwilliams@spellcom.com / 310-838-4010

ABOUT CASA/LA
Founded in 1978, CASA of Los Angeles is a community-supported 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to mobilize community volunteers to advocate on behalf of abused and neglected children in the highly-overburdened foster care system of Los Angeles County. CASA’s vision is of a Los Angeles where every foster child has an advocate and the opportunity to thrive. Through committed, highly trained everyday citizen volunteers, CASA brings the voice of a concerned community into the child welfare system which is often overly bureaucratic and legalistic. Studies have shown that children with CASAs receive more assistance and support than children without, and are more likely to be adopted or returned to their families and less likely to reenter the child welfare system. For more information, please visit the CASA of Los Angeles website: www.casala.org.

Los Angeles, CA June 4th, 2013 — CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Los Angeles has filled its Director of Development position with longtime nonprofit fundraising expert Nancy Nagel. Ms. Nagel has over 20 years of experience helping charitable organizations expand their financial footprint and strengthen their community support.

“We are overjoyed to welcome Nancy into CASA of Los Angeles, where her deep experience and passion will aid us in achieving our next level of growth,” said CASA/LA Executive Director Dilys Garcia.

Ms. Nagel’s 20-plus years of development experience have all taken place in Los Angeles County, which is a boon to an organization like CASA that depends on community donations for its primary funding. Prior to her joining CASA, Ms. Nagel served as Chief Development Officer for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank from 2007-2011 and before that spent many years as the Director of Development for Junior Blind of America and Braille Institute of America.

“Once I became aware of CASA and what the organization was doing for the foster children of Los Angeles, it had instant appeal to me,” said Nancy Nagel. “You have to feel for a child who is going through an immensely traumatic courtroom experience that also often involves them being away from their family. To have a support system there for them is so important and the difference that it makes in a child’s future is tremendous.”

Ms. Nagel will work to achieve the new goals set for the organization as it moves into the 2013-14 fiscal year, starting in July. One such goal is to provide intensive advocacy services to 1,000 children, which would almost double CASA/LA’s impact on foster children in need within just a three year period.

“It’s only been a couple years since CASA lost governmental funding and turned to private funding, so they need to continue to grow,” said Director of Development Nagel. “I want to make sure we reach our 2013 goals and make sure these programs and services continue.”

ABOUT CASA/LA
Founded in 1978, CASA of Los Angeles is a community-supported 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to mobilize community volunteers to advocate on behalf of abused and neglected children in the highly-overburdened foster care system of Los Angeles County. CASA’s vision is of a Los Angeles where every foster child has an advocate and the opportunity to thrive. Through committed, highly trained everyday citizen volunteers, CASA brings the voice of a concerned community into the child welfare system which is often overly bureaucratic and legalistic. Studies have shown that children with CASAs receive more assistance and support than children without, and are more likely to be adopted or returned to their families and less likely to reenter the child welfare system. For more information, please visit the CASA of Los Angeles website: www.casala.org.

One little girl’s move from a medical group home to a loving adoptive family might not have happened if a CASA hadn’t spoken up.

Of the many things Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) do for kids in the child welfare system, attending “presentation meetings”—where prospective adoptive parents first learn of a child’s medical conditions—is almost never one of them.

But just before one of these meetings, in July 2011, an adoptions worker for the LA. County Department of Children and Family Services approached Janet Blair, then a three-and-a-half-year volunteer for CASA of Los Angeles, about attending on behalf of the fourteen-month-old girl, Justice, to whom Blair had been recently assigned.

“I didn’t realize what a presentation meeting was, so I went in there kind of in the dark,” Blair says. “There were about a dozen people, from social workers to psychologists, and they seated me right next to the physician.”

Blair wasn’t only Justice’s CASA; she had recently retired from a nearly 30-year career as a pediatric occupational therapist in the special education system. She had a deep understanding of early childhood development, and she thought she might be asked to help translate some of the medical jargon into layperson’s terms.

For more than an hour, the doctor read from the little girl’s medical record. Blair kept her eyes on the faces around the table. It wasn’t going well.

“In those meetings, nobody but the physician has anything other than a minor role,” Blair explains. “It’s really about getting to know the medical history of the child, and the doctor was using the most stark, technical terms. Unless you had worked in a neonatal intensive care unit, you would have been terrified by what you heard. I was afraid the parents were going to run for the door.”

Justice had been born prematurely—at just 24 weeks—and, after spending six months in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, she had been transferred to a medical group home for intensive follow-up.

“She had come into the world very early, yes, but I felt this was only one side of the story,” Blair says. “So at one point I turned to the adoptions worker and asked, ‘Has anyone here besides me seen this child yet?’ She said no, so I said, ‘Well, let me tell you a little bit about this girl.’”

Besides first-hand observations from her visits with Justice, Blair had pictures—lots of them. Because kids under 4 aren’t mandated to be in court, one of the things CASAs do for the youngest children is document through photographs how they are doing developmentally. Blair took photos every two weeks and even tracked down a few pictures from Justice’s time in the hospital.

I pulled out the photo album and said, ‘Look, I’m growing, I’m thriving, I’m moving along developmentally, and I look really cute. I’m a nice little kid,’” she explains. “My job was to be a voice for Justice, and in this case my role was to balance out the report that the poor doctor was obligated to present. That’s only fair.”

Everyone in the room spent time with the photo album, and by the end of the meeting, the prospective adoptive parents, Michael and Jessica Alabi, agreed to think about it. Within a couple weeks, they had arranged to visit Justice at the group home. And there they immediately expressed an interest in adopting her.

“It’s one thing to hear about a child,” Jessica says, “but when we met her, she was amazing.”

By September 2011, Justice was living with the Alabis, and Blair continued to do the core work of a CASA on her behalf—observing therapeutic sessions, helping Michael and Jessica navigate the complex of service agencies to ensure Justice was receiving the support she needed, and getting to know the Alabis to make sure they would be successful adoptive parents.

Meanwhile, Blair was enrolled in CASA of Los Angeles’s very first Early Childhood Training, which equips CASAs with the knowledge to help all stakeholders see young children’s cases through a developmental lens. For all her years in early childhood development, she had spent most of them in physical medicine and rehabilitation, so there was still plenty she could learn, particularly in the area of infant mental health.

“After learning more about that critical window of the first 18 to 24 months, when a child needs to form a secure attachment, suddenly I had a new appreciation of how far Justice had come,” she says. “When I first met her she was extremely serious, very cautious. But when she went to live with the Alabis, her temperament changed from week to week. She just lit up, and this happy, shrieking little toddler emerged.”

Which gives something of a double meaning to the idea that CASAs give a voice to foster children. It could be said that CASAs also give them an audience.

“She’s very proactive and social now,” Michael says. “She loves being listened to.”

Justice’s adoption by the Alabis was finalized in December 2012. Around the same time, they legally changed her first name to Oluwasade, Nigerian for “God made this crown.” They call her Sade for short.

And now Justice is her middle name.

This story first ran in CASA of Los Angeles’s 2012 annual report, A Standout Year in Standing Up for Foster Children. Click here to see additional pictures of Sade and to read more about CASA of Los Angeles’s achievements in 2012.

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