Connecticut Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) received coverage twice this month:

The ending of AmazonSmile prompted comment about to what extent Connecticut CASA--which relies on a combination of public dollars, foundation grants, and individual donations--will be affected.

Connecticut CASA welcomed two new professional colleagues to its team: Julie Castaneda, who herself benefited from a CASA volunteer when she was in the foster care system as a youth in Texas; and Gabrielle Haynes, a lifelong Connecticut resident with two UConn degrees.

As the New Haven Register and other Hearst CT Media outlets reported, Connecticut CASA recently received a competitive national Growth Grant of $75,000, with comment from DCF Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes among others.

Today marks 59 years since the 1963 March on Washington, in which my father participated as a graduate student.

In August 2013, on the 50th anniversary, he returned for a commemoration, and reflected on the occasion--for example, in a New York Times post, short essay, and TV interview.  Earlier that month, my wife and I brought our young children for a different anniversary march and visit to sites including the Lincoln and MLK Memorials.

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Connecticut CASA held a July 14 Benefit that combined a panel discussion and musical performance with support from donors and sponsors.  Details are in a New Haven Register preview article and subsequent New Haven Independent coverage, as well as on our YouTube channel.

The YouTube channel features an increasing array of videos, from TV news interviews and CASA volunteer testimonials to musical performances by Brandon Sherrod, an ambassador for Connecticut CASA.  We invite you to subscribe to the channel.

Through a competitive process, including an extensive application and data demands, Connecticut CASA has secured some $142,000 in new government funding for 2022-23. The contract award, through the State Judicial Branch, relies on federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, as described in the Hartford Courant, New Haven Register, other Hearst CT  outlets, and social media.

In addition, Connecticut CASA was recently featured on three TV news segments, when we received a TEGNA Foundation grant and CASA volunteer Dwayne Jackson joined me to discuss his CASA role and how other volunteers might get involved.

Our CASA work depends on a blend of public, foundation, and generous individual funding sources.