Phoenix, Arizona – January 29, 2018
Voices for CASA Children has been awarded a $50,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities to continue its mission of providing a voice to youth in Maricopa County’s dependent care system. The grant, alongside the continuous generosity of the Arians Family Foundation, will help to significantly increase the number of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA volunteers) who are dedicated to abused or neglected children and who advocate for their best interests.
There are currently more than 500 CASA volunteers in Maricopa County. When compared to the over 10-thousand children in foster care in Maricopa County alone, that means less children are fortunate enough to be appointed a CASA volunteer than are needed. The goal of CASA of Maricopa County and Voices for CASA Children is to have a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for every child who needs one, and this grant will get one step closer to achieving that dream.
“The support from Thunderbirds Charities and the Arians Family Foundation are paramount to ensuring there are more volunteer advocates to help children find permanency,” says Voices for CASA Children’s Executive Director, Robin Pearson. “Our work of addressing the needs of vulnerable children would not be made possible without their help. We are so grateful; first for the $50,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities, and secondly for the ongoing support of the Arians Family Foundation. With each of their help, we will go far this year.”
“Voices for CASA Children has such a tremendous impact on the welfare of our children in foster care, helping them navigate the foster care system and providing the support that is critical for this vulnerable population,” said Andy Markham, President of Thunderbirds Charities. “We’re happy to assist in their efforts.”
Voices for CASA Children, CASA of Maricopa County and the Superior Court of Maricopa County have been diligently working together to identify ways to deepen their collaboration in order to best leverage community resources in support of the CASA Program and the children they serve. VOICES Board President Victoria Strayer speaks to this collaboration and the impact on growth: “We have executed a more formal agreement between VOICES and the Court. Soon the community will hear about enhanced support for CASA volunteers, expanded training opportunities, informational sessions designed to recruit many more CASA volunteers, and innovative practices such as Family Finding—all designed to strengthen the CASA Program and, most importantly, support the children so they too can have families, connections, and permanency. 2018 will be a year of community, hope and action.”
CASA provides front line advocacy for children in foster care, and CASA volunteers speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children whose futures are being decided during juvenile court proceedings. Voices for CASA Children is always recruiting new advocates to meet the high demand. For more information, visit www.voicesforcasachildren.org.
For more information about CASA of Maricopa County, visit http://www.maricopacasa.org.
About Voices for CASA Children:
Voices for CASA Children is dedicated to bringing a voice to every abused and neglected child in state dependency and supports expansion of the CASA program in Maricopa County. Voices was established in 2011 and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For more information, visit us at: www.voicesforcasachildren.org. Follow us on Twitter and join us on Facebook.
About the Thunderbird/Thunderbirds Charaties:
Thunderbirds Charities is a non-profit organization formed in 1986 to distribute monies raised through the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament. The Thunderbirds Charities Board consists of 15 board members from varying professional backgrounds. The mission of Thunderbirds Charities is to assist children and families, help people in need and improve the quality of life in our communities. The organization’s giving is directed toward organizations based or with a significant presence in Arizona. The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 250 “life” members. For more information on the Thunderbirds or the 2018 Waste Management Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com. For more information on Thunderbirds Charities, visit www.thunderbirdscharities.org.
About The Arians Family Foundation:
The Arians Family Foundation (AFF) was created in 2013 by Bruce and Christine Arians for reasons dear to their hearts. Christine worked for years as a family-law attorney, or as she describes, a “broken-family” attorney. She began working with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) to help ensure that children who are involved in the court system, as a result of abuse or neglect by their families, receive the help they need. The Arians Family Foundation seeks to continue helping others in their life journeys. AFF embodies the vision of a better future for children to live where they feel safe and loved. For more information about the Arians Family Foundation please visit www.ariansfamilyfoundation.com or call 310-426-9900.
For Voices for CASA Children media inquiries contact:
Alex Stevenson
PR Account Coordinator
Serendipit Consulting
www.serendipitconsulting.com
Cell: 480.319.0097
AStevenson@serendipitconsulting.com
For Arians Family Foundation media inquiries contact:
Daniel Almond
CMPR
Cell: 205.394.2575
daniel@cmpr.net
