August 2007 Highlights of CASA's 30th Summer
Coral Reef at the CASA Youth Center
13 Weeks of Summer Fun for CASA Kids
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the kids who live at the CASA shelter and transitional housing have opportunities to play and learn at the CASA Summer Youth Program. The program encourages appropriate behaviors and provides positive opportunities for the kids to contribute, along with stimulating and challenging activities and a sense of belonging in all children.
In practice that means morning activities like creating a Coral Reef on a window of the Youth Center (see above), or a jungle, floor to ceiling, on a wall, or an animal corner and a housekeeping corner. It means snacks and breaks for quiet time. It means 'rallies' where all kids are encouraged to speak in turn.
Then there are the field trips to Tampa International Airport (which no participating child had ever seen), to a real fire station where they see engines, firemen in full gear and a genuine fire pole with firemen sliding down from above. They go to the Lowry Park Zoo, to MOSI, and to the movies. They take a tour of the Publix at Gateway Mall, where they see kids just a little older than they are working at their first jobs. Then there are the blast-off excursions to Astro Skate and Future Flipz where they skate and do tumbling and gymnastics until they are ready to drop!
The CASA Peacemakers come for five sessions of the Peacemaker program to teach non-violent conflict resolution through games, activities and discussion. They play 'Peacemaker Chill-out Trivia' and 'Feelings Charades', as well as making journals and creating art work all about making choices to resolve conflict constructively.
On top of everything are the Special Events, like Backwards Day, Beach Ball Volleyball, Jelly Bean Bingo, Kickball Tournament and the Human Sundae - just to name a few!
This summer at the CASA Youth Center, children who have experienced deep trauma from domestic violence are being given a chance to play and learn as all children should. They are cared for by committed teachers and helpers, with a healthy mix of fun activities and mind- and heart-opening learning opportunities.
Donors to CASA can feel proud that their support makes such a difference in the lives of the most threatened in our community. Volunteers expand CASA's capacity to support and care for these children. For more information about how you can help, please call Tuesdi Fenter-Dyer, CASA's new Development Director, at (727) 895-4912 x 114 or e-mail
You can also contact Volunteer Coordinator, Cara Cohn, at (727) 895-4912 x 107 and
CASA's Visitation Centers: Protecting Pinellas Children and Families
CASA (with the Haven of RCS) provide the only Pinellas County court-ordered visitation and monitored exchange to allow children whose parents are divorced or separated to develop a healthy relationship with the visiting parent. With tax cuts proposed for Pinellas County, these visitation centers are in danger.
All Visitation Center staff are trained and certified by the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence in the areas of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual abuse and stalking. The Centers protect children from being exposed to adult issues or manipulated physically or verbally against their best interests. They insure that an abused parent can be safe in sending their child to meet with their abuser. They provide children with a safe place to meet their non-custodial parent in an environment designed to foster warm and supportive bonds between parent and child.
There are children who have been coming to meet a parent at the Visitation Center for as long as ten years. Two sisters first came as young children and are now nearly ready for high school! The Centers provide toys, games and other activities for a parent and child to enjoy together. Karen Fawcett, Visitation Coordinator, says, "At the South County Visitation Center there is a kitchen where lots of kids and parents like to cook and eat together." Others read aloud or play outdoors with provided sports equipment. When a child has a birthday, everyone shares cake and ice cream.
Jim Dentinger, a St. Petersburg supporter of CASA, recently wrote an impassioned appeal to the Board of County Commissioners and to the Juvenile Welfare Board, both in Pinellas County, who took over funding the Visitation Centers last year when federal funding was discontinued. Jim voiced concern over the impending reduction of public funding through lower property tax revenues and how that could leave abused women with children in an impossible situation. "This isn't about sacrificing something "nice" for something "so-so," it is about something necessary. These moms certainly do not deserve to be subjected to even the possibility of violence happening again."
CASA's Visitation Centers play a unique and vital role in stopping abuse in Pinellas County and supporting a healthy family environment. CASA supporters like Jim are working to let Pinellas County officials know how much the community needs the Visitation Centers.
Fast Friends Support CASA's Thrift Shoppe by Cara Cohn, Volunteer Coordinator
Betty Schall at Patchingtons "Hi Lorraine, it's Betty. Let's get together for coffee. I have a car load of items for CASA." This is the drill every five or six weeks. Betty Schall from Patchington's, a women's clothing store in Belleaire, has been advocating for CASA and providing support for domestic violence prevention. On the counter at Patchingtons is a plexiglas frame containing information about CASA's services. In the front window a flyer is posted about CASA and domestic violence prevention. There are also brochures for customers to take along with them. Betty reminds customers and fellow employees alike."If you're shopping for new items you probably need to make room for them, so clean out your closet and donate to CASA's Thrift Shoppe here at our designated drop off center."
"She is a part of my group" says Lorraine Krepfle CASA Collection Thrift Shoppe Assistant Manager extraordinaire! "We have all stayed close for years, ever since we worked for Casual Corner. If any of us needs support we have each other to turn to."
Shirley Carmen at The Brighton Store Shirley Carmen is an employee of The Brighton Store at the International Mall. Shirley, also a member of the group, is continuing a two-year practice of donating shoes and purses with tags still on for resale in the CASA Thrift Shoppe.
This group of friends has extended themselves for CASA. They educate the customers they come in contact with about domestic violence, and they regularly donate beautiful merchandise for the benefit of CASA programs and participants. CASA salutes Lorraine and Betty and Shirley for their continued good work!
If you and your friends or business associates would like to work together to support CASA, please call me at (727) 895-4912 x 107, or e-mail
Reflections on 30 years of CASA In 2007, we are featuring regular contributions on CASA Past by Judy Lambdon who has worked at CASA for 22 years.
In August of 1984 CASA had a total of about 6 shelter employees, in addition to Sylvia Tucker, the Executive Director, and her assistant. They were housed on the 3rd floor of the 1st Congregational Church office building on 4th Street North. Having been a boarding house, space at the shelter was limited and we only had 20 beds. The shelter staff operated out of a small former bedroom. The kitchen had countertop space of about 3 feet. When you opened the oven door it scraped the door of the refrigerator across from it. A grocery list was made with the residents when the ads came out, and shopping was done on a weekly basis depending on where the best bargains were. Some of the rooms had old, loud window air conditioning units.
Over the next couple of years Sylvia and board member, Martha Kehm scouted other shelter locations. One day the ceiling fell in one of the bedrooms, lowering our capacity by 4 or 5 beds. The need for a new shelter became critical.
One day the phone rang and Sylvia asked me to get in my car and meet her at a particular address. We toured the house and decided it would make the perfect shelter for CASA. It was huge and we wondered what we would do with all the extra space.
As the new house had been sitting empty for 5 years, there was a lot of cleaning out and cleaning up to be done. A sprinkler system had to be installed as well as emergency lights, smoke detectors, a fence and a security system. A state of the art telephone system was installed which enabled us to handle more crisis calls than ever before. A playground was put in and provided a safe, secure, shady place for the children to play outside. The new shelter had a capacity of 25 beds and we immediately began to fill them.
We knew we were on the right track when Sister Margaret Freeman, CASA's founder, came for a tour and told Sylvia that she approved.
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