1. family and parenting
2. children

Issue 1 | January - March | 2015
CASA
COMMUNICATIONS
Central Kansas CASA, INC.
10th Annual Chocolate Auction
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Issue 1 | January - March | 2015
Chocolate
Auction
CELEBRATI NG 10 Y EARS
10th Annual Chocolate Auction!!!
T his year marked another successful Chocolate Auction
benefit. For the past ten years, Central K ansas CASA has been
fortunate enough to host our volunteers and donors at our
annual auction.
It is amazing to witness the generosity of members of this
community firsthand. From attendees to item donors we are
grateful for your contributions. Central K ansas CASA could
not effectively serve children in the 20th Judicial District of
K ansas without your support. Because of your efforts, we
have been able to provide advocacy to neglected and abused
children for 30 years. We promise to continue providing
advocacy to neglected and abused children.
T his night could not have been possible without our devoted
chocolate auction committee (listed on back page). T he
amount of volunteer hours that these women contribute to
assure the event is successful is overwhelming. Day in and day
out they continue to be a leading force for Central K ansas
CASA. You have created an unforgettable event that everyone
looks forward to attending.
W ith gratitude, we appreciate the item donors, cash donors,
event sponsors, volunteers, K nights of Columbus and the
chocolate auction committee.
As we look forward to hosting next years 11th Annual
Chocolate Auction, we hope to see all former, as well as, new
attendees at this great event!!
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Issue 1 | January - March | 2015
10th Annual Chocolate Auction
I am for the child.
We would like to give a special thanks to our wonderful sponsors, volunteers and
attendees that made our 10th annual fundraiser a huge success.
All Star for a Child
Champion for a Child
Friend of a Child
D on & Kathleen D amon
Great Bend Regional H ospital
Jim & K athi Armatys
D ouglas County
Com munity Foundation
Larry & Patty Keenan
Central Prairie Coop
Dr. W illiam K ing
Comfort Pro
Charles L. Curtiss M emorial
Fund
Jerry & Linda M armie
Dennis & Dianne Call
Dr. Roger & Laina M arshall
Farmers Bank & Trust
Andrew & M egan M urphy
Pawnee Valley Community H ospital
Francis Financial
Friend for a Child
P &S Electric
Schenkel Construction
Company, I nc.
Scott?s Welding
Venture Corporation?
D oris Spray
Jeff & Lorraine Staab
Roy & M arcia Westhoff &
D onna Staab
I am for the child.
Thank you for being for the child, too.
Cash & Event D onors
Kummer Family Trust
Bill & Angie M addy
Dillons, B & B Quality Meats, Cornerstone
Interiors, Ellinwood Packing Plant, Inc. Terry &
Jerry Esfeld, Kustom Floor Designs, Inc., Sean &
Julie Miller, Dominican Sisters of Peace, Blake
Herres, DDS, Bernie Johnson, Keller Real Estate,
Jerome & Janelle Lang, Leon?s Midwest
Appliance, Manweiler Chevrolet,Plum Creek
Kennel, Sunflower Bank, Superior Essex, The
Plains State Bank, Donna Wells, Darlene & Sally
Bauer, Central Plains Computer Service, Central
Kansas Orthopedic Group, Community Bank of
the Midwest, Schremmer Realty, Auction &
Appraisers, Jitterbug DJ Entertainment?Doug
Walter, Waters True Value?Derek Fredrick,
Premier Distributing, Glazers?Marc Charles,
Great Bend Children?s Clinic?Dr. Marta
Edmonds, D & S Casing?David & Shellie Thill,
Blackhawk Sandblasting & Coating?
Scott & Karen Reddig
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Dr. Ross & Jo H ildebrand
Dr. Bill & Robin N iederee
Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball
R ural Telephone N ex-Tech
Corporate
And a very special thanks
to the members of The
Knights of Columbus for
their help and expertise.
Issue 1 | January - March | 2015
News & Events - National CASA
How Science Can Help Us Measure and Improve the Well Being of
Foster Youth
By National CASA CEO Michael Piraino
Previously featured on the Huffington Post
Article provided by National CASA, February 25 ,2015
The three key goals of child welfare
policy in the United States are the child?s
safety, permanency and well-being. Of
these three goals, the child?s well-being
often seems to be the most elusive goal.
Class action lawsuits filed in several
states? including Texas, South Carolina,
and most recently, Arizona? demonstrate
the depth of concern about how we care
for children who cannot live safely at
home. The nation?s overwhelmed systems
for the care and protection of abused and
neglected children are not well equipped
to promote the healthy development of
these most vulnerable children.
The federal government does set
standards for how well states perform
this important task. From 2009 to 2012,
states improved their performance on the
two safety-related child welfare
outcomes monitored by the federal
government. The rate of maltreatment in
foster care dropped to about 0.3% . That?s
lower than the rate of about 0.9% in the
general population, although it still
represents about 2,000 children who
were supposed to be kept safe while
under the protection of the states due to
maltreatment at home.
Unfortunately, while child welfare data
systems do track where foster kids are
and whether they are safe, many aspects
of child well-being just are not part of the
federally mandated child welfare
outcomes reports. One that is tracked is
going in the wrong direction. The
percentage of children under age 12 who
are placed in group settings increased
between 2009 and 2012.
This is an upward trend that urgently
needs to be reversed. Children should
live with families if at all possible, and
especially so for children in this age
range.
In rolling out their Every Kid Needs a
Family state policy work, the Annie E.
Casey Foundation has said ?We must
make finding safe, nurturing families for
every child the highest priority to
reflect what the medical and social
research shows: children do best in
families? Families ? whether birth,
foster, kin or adoptive ? have been
proven best for children and youth in
virtually every way. They are essential
to a child?s healthy development. For
example, research shows us that kids
who live with relatives move less often,
are more likely to live with a permanent
family when they leave foster care and
have better behavioral health
outcomes.?
The movement to track the well-being
of foster youth also needs to accelerate
by taking into account new scientific
information on healthy child and youth
development. Not yet tracked at the
federal level, but of great significance
for a child?s healthy development, are
opportunities for foster youth to have
the age-appropriate experiences that
contribute to a child?s well-being. This
includes things like extra-curricular and
social activities that both enrich their
lives and give them experience in
interacting with others and making
some decisions for themselves. The
?normalcy? movement has been helping
promote this in legislation and practice.
A glaring hole in the foster care data on
well-being is information on the
number, quality, and consistency of
adult relationships for children.
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These are relationships that are caring,
supportive, inspire growth, share power
and expand possibilities for children and
young people. For foster youth, these
characteristics can typically be found
among CASA and volunteer guardian ad
litem programs, and in well-designed
mentoring programs.
Research elsewhere has begun to confirm
that children?s well-being may be
dramatically improved if the adults who
have these developmental relationships
with children also help them develop a
?mindset? that is oriented toward growth
and success. The key point is this:
mindsets can be changed. Developing a
growth mindset can allow you to move
beyond adverse experiences and help you
follow strategies that are in your best
interest according to Carol Dweck in
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
We also know that when young people,
particularly adolescents, develop a
balanced understanding of the positive
and negative futures they might face, they
are much more likely to be able to work
around the negative and back to the
positive. These ?balanced possible
selves? can lead to improvements in
academic success, behavior, and rates of
depression.
What is particularly exciting about this
research is the potential it has for
positively affecting the educational
success and mental health of foster youth,
even in the absence of large scale system
reforms. By strengthening relationships
that protect foster youth from the effects
of adverse childhood experiences, we can
help them build on their own strengths so
that the trauma they have experienced
does not become a permanent barrier in
their lives.
Every abused or neglected child in the
nation?s foster care systems should have a
well-trained, caring adult to speak up for
them and help assure their healthy
development and well-being.
Issue 1 | January - March | 2015
CASA's in the Com munity
'THA NK A FA RM ER'
Article provided by Great Bend T ribune, Susan T hacker
Jerry Esfeld is a member of our Chocolate Auction Committe.
She has helped provide sufficient funding for our agency. In
addition, she is very involved in the Great Bend Community.
Children may know that chocolate milk doesn?t come from
brown cows, but there?s a lot about agriculture that
people don?t realize, Esfeld said. When she presents her
fourth-grade lessons, the teachers as well as the students
usually learn something. Only 2 percent of the world?s
population are farmers and only 1/ 32nd of the Earth is
farmable.
This article taken from The Great Bend Tribune explains the
work that Jerry does with the Farm Bureau and educating
children.
We love to see our volunteers, board members, and chocolate
auction committe being involved with our community
agencies. Great job, Jerry!
Because the population is growing, there are more mouths
to feed and less available farm land each year. Barton
County?s Farm Bureau is frequently recognized at the
state level for its work in farm education, Esfeld said. Farm
Bureau has a nationally recognized teaching program.
When Jerry Esfeld prepared for an agricultural program at
Riley School, ice cream was part of her lesson plan.
Esfeld is the county coordinator for the Barton County Farm
Bureau. On Wednesday she visited the kindergarten class of
Ms. Ochs and Mrs. Karst and talked about the importance of
farming and ranching, including dairy farming.
Esfeld always includes activities in her programs. She
shows first graders how to make wheat necklaces. Second
graders make a ?garden in a glove.? They are given clear
plastic gloves and put some moist cotton and different
kinds of seeds in each of the fingers and thumb. Then they
watch the seeds sprout and grow. [Esfeld also visited with
third graders at St. Joseph School in Ellinwood, where she
talked about the importance of protecting natural
resources. ?We will made an Earth bracelet,? she said].
?My main message is to thank a farmer or rancher,? Esfeld
said after the program. She started and ended her short
program with that message. As a former elementary school
teacher, Esfeld knows how to hold her young audience?s
attention. She visits any classroom in Barton County at the
teachers?request. Last year she gave 75 presentations, and
the number is growing because she works with the
educators so the lessons fit into their plans. For example,
she tries to incorporate vocabulary words that the students
will meet on the state assessment tests. The program for
kindergarteners was fairly simple: ?Without the farmer or
the rancher, you would be hungry and naked.? That got a
laugh, but the kids got the point.
FFA students help Esfeld with a lesson for second graders
called ?Celebrating Wheat.? They grill peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches.
Fourth graders throughout the county also attend Kids Ag
Day every September, spending a day on a real farm. That
is a project of the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce?s
agricultural committee.
All of the children said they knew that milk comes from
cows before it is packaged and sold in grocery stores. Some
children, especially in urban areas, are not aware of this,
Esfeld said. She read a story about one such girl, who learns
the truth when her grandmother takes her to visit a dairy.
A cow drinks 80 gallons of water a day, and produces 8
gallons of milk, Esfeld said, showing everyone a 1-gallon jug.
?You look like happy, eager learners,? Esfeld said. Everyone
received a serving of Braum?s ice cream at the end of her
lesson.
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Issue 1 | January - March | 2015
CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH
PROVIDED BY CHILDWELFARE.GOV
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
National Child Abuse Prevention Month is a time to
acknowledge the importance of families and
communities working together to prevent child abuse
and neglect, and to promote the social and emotional
well-being of children and families. During the month
of April and throughout the year, communities are
encouraged to share child abuse and neglect
prevention awareness strategies and activities and
promote prevention across the country.
A
WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR
MAKE MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS
Dear Reader,
This April holds a special place in my heart. It is my first time to experience Child Abuse Prevention
Month as a CASA Director. It is an entirely different perspective from the Director's seat.
Day in and day out I see the results of child abuse and neglect in our community. The ratio of CINC
filings to per capita population is phenomenal in the counties Central Kansas CASA serves. The positive
correlation between rural communities and child abuse and neglect is concerning.
You have the opportunity to speak up for these children. Not by just becoming a CASA volunteer, but by
familiarizing yourself with the warning signs of child abuse and neglect. I encourage you all to review
the signs and help prevent further abuse in our community.
Child Abuse Prevention should not be limited to one month, but rather recognized throughout the year.
The month of April should be a time to reflect on the advancements towards preventing injustice and
misrepresentation of children.
Through programs such as CASA, we are making meaningful connections throughout our community. It is
our promise that we will continue to advocate for children in need of care and offer awareness programs
to help improve healthy family behavior. As a result, we hope to promote a community that embraces
our youth.
Unite with the thousands of people acknowledging Child Abuse Prevention Month and wear a blue
prevention ribbon in April. You too can help make meaningful connections by simply spreading
awareness. I call upon you all to reflect on the importance of this month and the impact you could make
as a CASA volunteer.
Sincerly,
Ariella Harrison
Executive Director
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Issue 1 | January - March | 2015
Warning Signs of
Child Abuse and N eglect
The earlier child abuse is caught, the bett er the chance of recovery
and appropriat e treat ment f or the child. Child abuse is not always
obvious. By learning some of the common warning signs of child
abuse and neglect , you can catch the problem as early as possible and
get bot h t he child and the abuser the help that they need.
Warning signs of emotional abuse in children
Warning signs of neglect in children
- Excessively withdrawn, fearful, or anxious
about doing something wrong.
- Shows extremes in behavior (extremely
compliant or extremely demanding; extremely
passive or extremely aggressive).
- Doesn?t seem to be attached to the parent or
caregiver.
- Acts either inappropriately adult (taking care of
other children) or inappropriately infantile
(rocking, thumb-sucking, throwing tantrums).
- Clothes are ill-fitting, filthy, or inappropriate
for the weather.
- Hygiene is consistently bad (unbathed, matted
and unwashed hair, noticeable body odor).
- Untreated illnesses and physical injuries.
- Is frequently unsupervised or left alone or
allowed to play in unsafe situations and
environments.
- Is frequently late or missing from school.
Warning signs of sexual abuse in children
Warning signs of physical abuse in children
- Trouble walking or sitting.
- Displays knowledge or interest in sexual acts
inappropriate to his or her age, or even
seductive behavior.
- Makes strong efforts to avoid a specific
person, without an obvious reason.
- Doesn?t want to change clothes in front of
others or participate in physical activities.
- An STD or pregnancy, especially under the age
of 14.
- Runs away from home.
- Frequent injuries or unexplained bruises, welts,
or cuts.
- Is always watchful and ?on alert,? as if waiting
for something bad to happen.
- Injuries appear to have a pattern such as marks
from a hand or belt.
- Shies away from touch, flinches at sudden
movements, or seems afraid to go home.
- Wears inappropriate clothing to cover up
injuries, such as long-sleeved shirts on hot
days.
healthguide.org
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Issue 1 | January - March | 2015
AS
A
MA
TTER
O
F
F
AC
T
Children with Sexual Behavior Problems
*National Children's Advocacy Center
Children with sexual behavior problems (SBP) are identified as ?children ages 12 and younger
who initiate behaviors involving sexual body parts (i.e., genitals, anus, buttocks, or breasts) that
are developmentally inappropriate or potentially harmful to themselves or others.? Persons
should be aware of the reporting laws appropriate to the state in which they live and follow the
laws accordingly. (6)
1
2
It is important to distinguish SBP from normal childhood sexual play and exploration
that occurs spontaneously, intermittently, and is mutual and non-coercive when it
involves other children. Some degree of behavior focused on sexual body parts,
curiosity about sexual behavior, and interest in sexual stimulation is a normal part of
childhood development.
Sexual behaviors may range from problematic self-stimulation (causes actual physical
harm or damage, or does not change with corrective intervention) to nonintrusive
behaviors (preoccupation with nudity, looking at others) to sexual interactions with
other children (more explicit behaviors than normal sexual play) to coercive or
aggressive sexual behaviors, especially when there are large age differences or
developmental inequalities between children.
3
T here is no clear pattern of demographic, psychological, or social factors that
distinguish children with SBP from other groups of children. N o specific profile is
unique to all children with sexual behavior problems.
4
Children who have been sexually abused are reported to engage in SBP with a higher
frequency than non-sexually abused children. Contributing factors for sexual behavior
problems in children may include physical abuse, neglect, family dysfunction,
attachment issues, exposure to sexually explicit media, living in a highly sexualized
environment, and exposure to family violence.
5
6
SBP may be only one part of an overall pattern of disruptive behavior that can include
Attention Deficit H yperactivity Disorder (ADH D), oppositional defiant disorder,
post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, developmental and learning
problems. Children with more intense behaviors tend to have a number of mental
health, social and family problems.
Children with SBP are qualitatively different than adult sex offenders. Current research
suggests these children are at very low risk to commit future sex offenses, especially if
provided appropriate treatment.
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Issue 1 | January - March | 2015
AROUND THE NEWS
Federal Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities Holds Public Meeting on Tribal
Lands in Scottsdale, AZ
From prnewswire.com March 26, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire
The Commission to Eliminate Child
Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF)
held a public meeting on tribal lands
today at the Talking Stick Resort in
Scottsdale, Arizona. The focus of the
meeting was for Commission members
to explore key issues related to
addressing and preventing child abuse
and neglect fatalities in Indian Country. It
included presentations and discussions
on the impact of growing up in the midst
of multi-generational trauma and loss
within native communities, jurisdictional
considerations,
challenges
and
successful strategies, data collection,
best
practices
and
effective
interventions. Speakers included tribal
leaders, federal agency representatives,
and practitioners.
Yesterday, Commission members took
part in a site visit to the Salt River
Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
(SRPMIC) Family Advocacy Center. The
SRPMIC Family Advocacy Center
serves two tribes, the Pima and
Maricopa, comprising nearly 10,000
enrolled members. It was created in
2009 in response to the tragic deaths of
two tribal children who died when a
caregiver failed to keep them safe on a
hot summer day. The goal of the
SRPMIC Family Advocacy Center is to
apply a multi-disciplinary approach to
investigating reports of abuse and
neglect with a greater level of
information sharing among agencies,
regardless of the seriousness of the
report. The entire tribal Child Protective
Services team, members of the Salt
River Police Department, and a tribal
prosecutor are co-located at the
SRPMIC Family Advocacy Center,
which helps facilitate information
exchange. In addition, members from
supportive departments,
including
education, behavioral health, and
probation, take part in the investigation
if there is a known connection to the
case.
According to CECANF Chairman Dr.
David Sanders, "We know that
American Indian children die at a rate
twice that of Caucasian and Hispanic
children. The efforts of the SRPMIC
Family Advocacy Center to address the
challenges head on offer not only hope
for positive change, but also a road map
for other tribal and local communities to
replicate their best practices through
information sharing and identifying
children at risk."
"Despite the complicated world of
jurisdiction, our multi-disciplinary team
(MDT) model has been successful
because we apply it to all incidents, no
matter how low level or severe they
may be," noted Sheri Freemont,
Director of the SRPMIC Family
Advocacy Center. "We view the small
nature of our closed community as a
strength rather than a liability, because
it helps us share information and not
miss the red flags that could signal a
child is in danger."
CECANF was established by Public Law
112-275 (112th Congress), the Protect
Our Kids Act of 2012. Commissioners
will continue to hold public hearings
around the country and ask tough
questions with the goal of identifying the
most and least effective federal, state,
and tribal policies and practices
impacting the prevention of child abuse
and neglect fatalities, and how to
prioritize prevention services for
families with the greatest needs. To
date, the Commission has hosted public
meetings in San Antonio, TX; Tampa,
FL;Detroit, MI; Denver, CO; Burlington,
VT; Philadelphia, PA; and Portland, OR,
along with a deliberation session in
Phoenix, AZ and a Research Roundtable
in Philadelphia, PA.
Additional meetings are planned for
2015 in Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin,
and New York. For more information
on the work of the Commission and
9
information gathered during its public
meetings, go to
http://eliminatechildabusefatalities.sites.usa.go
The Commission is exploring federal,
state, local, and tribal strategies and
programs? across multiple
social
service systems? to reduce and help
eliminate child abuse and neglect
fatalities of children both known and not
known to child protective services
(CPS). Some of the Commission's
specific areas of study include:
What is needed to better understand the
nature of child maltreatment fatalities in
order to inform research, practice, and
policy for eliminating such fatalities?
What does research tell us about the
individual, family, community, and
societal factors that influence the
likelihood of a child abuse and neglect
fatality? What programs, services, and
interventions (including those in the
fields of health, public health, law
enforcement, the judiciary, mental
health, substance abuse, and domestic
violence) positively impact individual
caregiver
risk
factors,
child
vulnerabilities, and family dynamics that
may lead to a fatality? What current
federal legislation impacts the provision
of programs, services, and interventions
aimed at reducing child abuse and
neglect fatalities?
Commission members welcome the
opportunity to hear from stakeholders
including advocacy leaders, legislators,
local and county leaders, non-profit
organizations, minority representatives
including tribes, academics, law
enforcement,
judiciary,
clergy,
educators, parents, and victims on this
issue. Comments can be submitted
online via the Commission's website.
The legislation mandates that the
Commission submit a report to the
President and Congress on these issues
within two years (with the potential to
Issue 1 | January - March | 2015
MY STUFF BAGS
Imagine t he t rauma of being a child separated f rom all you know- parents,
possessions, and home ? and not having anything to cling to f or comf ort . Sadly,
each year, hundreds of thousands of children here in the U.S. must be rescued
f rom severe abuse, neglect or abandonment . Traumat ized and f acing uncertain
f ut ures, t hey f requently ent er shelt ers and f oster care with nothing, no f avorite
stuf f ed animal, no special blanket. They are af raid, disorient ed, and desperat e
f or comf ort . That?s where ?My Stuf f Bags? comes in.
The ?My St uf f Bags? Foundation in partnership with the Mazda Foundat ion as
well as t housands of people across the country, provide these unf ort unate
children wit h new belongings and new hope through its innovative ?My Stuf f
Bags? program.
The ?My St uf f Bags? Foundat ion?s ultimat e goal is to provide a My St uf f Bag
f illed wit h new belongings to each of the nearly 300,000 children each year who
must ent er shelters of f ost er care with nothing of their own.
Cent ral Kansas CASA has received numerous ?My Stuf f Bags? as the result of a
Mazda Foundation grant. If you know of a ?child in need of care?(f oster child or
a child in t he court system), ages birth to teen years, please call our of f ice at
620- 792- 5544. We will see to it that these children will receive a ?My Stuf f
Bag?.
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Issue 1 | January - March | 2015
UPCOMING EVENTS
MARCH:
03/ 30/ 15: 4:30pm - 6:30pm Volunteer Training Session (Open to public)
APRIL:
Month of April: Child Abuse and Prevention Month
04/ 01/ 15: 4:30 - 6:30pm Volunteer Training Session (Open to public)
04/ 03/ 15: 4:30 - 6:30pm Volunteer Training Session (Open to public)
04/ 06/ 15: 9:00am - Barton County Courthouse
04/ 06/ 15: 4:30 - 6:30pm Volunteer Training Session (Open to public)
04/ 08/ 15: 4:30 - 6:30pm Volunteer Training Session (Open to public)
04/ 09/ 15: 12pm Board of Director's Meeting located at the Great Bend Chamber
Board Room (contact the office for additional information)
04/ 10/ 15: 4:30 - 6:30pm Volunteer Training Session (Open to public)
04/ 10/ 15: All Day - Wear Blue in recognition of Child Abuse and Prevention Month
04/ 13/ 15: 12pm Director informational presentation with the Rotary Club
04/ 14/ 15: 4:30 - 5:30pm Conversation with CASA (public invited, contact office for
more information)
04/ 23/ 15
-
04/ 24/ 15:
18th
Annual
Crime
Victims'
Rights
Conference
http:/ / www.grants.ks.gov/ cvrc
04/ 29/ 15: 7:45am - 4:00pm Best Practices in Child Welfare Law - Hays
04/ 29/ 15: 7:45am - 4:00pm Best Practices in Child Welfare Law - Wichita
11
VOLUNTEER APPRECI ATI ON
We take pr ide in knowing that we have some of the most talented, genuine, and committed volunteer s out ther e.
Ranging fr om staff, boar d of dir ector 's, fundr aiser committee member s and CASA Advocates, we tr uly ar e blessed
to have such amazing people involved in our agency. Each per son has a special place in CASA's hear t and will
always be appr eciated for their dedication to our agency.
We ar e all fighting the battle to end child abuse and neglect. With help fr om our volunteer s we ar e able to impact
so many childr en in the community.
We would like to r ecognize our volunteer s with bir thdays for this issue. Thank you all for all that you do to
pr ovide safe, loving and per manent homes to childr en in need of car e. Together we can pr event child abuse and
pr ovide a better community for all.
A war m
Happy Birthday to you all, fr om your
Centr al Kansas CASA family!
BI RTHDA Y BLA ST
January 1
January 28
Lisa Whipple has been a
volunteer for a year now. She
has been committed to
providing excellent advocacy
services to our CASA children.
Saylem Felke has been committed
to her position as a CASA
volunteer since 2013. She is
currently working on her second
case as a volunteer.
January 1
Sharla Woods serves in the
24th Judicial district. She has
served as a volunteer on one
particular case for over six
years.
January 28
Dena and her husband Matt, are
Co-CASA?s, both serving as
volunteers since May of 2014.
January 19
February 8
Marcia Westhoff has been a
member of the CASA Board of
Directors for nine years. Marcia
was one of the original founders
of the CASA Chocolate Auction
and has helped fund raise over
thousands of dollars to help
CASA continue to provide
ongoing services.
Katie Lear is one of our newest
volunteers. Besides the
advocacy she exhibits in the
classroom at Great Bend Middle
School, she uses those skills to
serve neglected and abused
children in our community.
January 20
February 29 In memory
Cindy Meter is the newest
addition to our CASA staff. She
currently serves as Program
Assistant and looks forward to
helping increase the number of
volunteers for CASA children.
Debbie Berkley is well known in
our community for her previous
Guardian Ad Litem position
with Children in Need of Care
cases. Debbie is one of the
newest members of the Board
of Directors.
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Issue 1 | January - March | 2015
I n memory of Debbie Berkley
February 29, 1952- March 20, 2015
Debor ah E. ?Debbie? Ber kley, 63, died Mar ch 20 at Hospice House of Reno County, Hutchinson. Bor n
Feb. 29, 1952 at Salina, she was the daughter of Har old Rayfield and Dor is Eleanor (Cor man) Ber kley.
Ms. Ber kley was a Gr eat Bend r esident and an attor ney. She was a member of Elks, Golden Plains
Quilts of Valor which she star ted, CASA, and Amer ican Legion Ar gonne Post 180 Auxiliar y, all of
Gr eat Bend. She thought of other s instead of her self, helping kids thr ough TRIO, and was always
ther e for her daughter , helping her thr ough school. She enjoyed quilting and loved her gr andson.
Sur vivor s include her mother , Dor is Ber kley, Gr eat Bend; one daughter , Jennifer Zupfer and her
husband Shawn of Vancouver , Wash.; one sister , Ter r i Rous of San Jose, Calif.; one gr andson, Mason
Zupfer ; one niece, Sar ah DeWhitt and her husband Steven of Pear l Har bor , Hawaii; and one
nephew, Dar r en Rous of For t Wor th, Texas.
Ther e will be no ser vices or visitation. Cr emation has taken place.
Memor ials ar e r equested to Quilts of Valor or CASA or Fir st Chr istian Chur ch, in car e of Br yant
Funer al Home. Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.br yantfh.net
Obituar y pr ovided by Gr eat Bend Tr ibune
One's life has value so long as one attributes
value to the life of others, by means of love,
friendship, indignation and compassion.
- Simone de Beauvoir
In loving memory of every cancer patient, family member and friend who has lost the battle to cancer. And to those who continue conquer it.
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CENTRAL KANSAS CASA, INC.
Boar d of Dir ector s & Staff
Volunteer s
Bill King
Pr esident
Jacquie Disque
M ar cia Westhoff
Vice Pr esident
Saylem Felke
Chocolate Auction
Com m ittee
Kim Kummer
co-chair
Penni Dr eiling
Donna Staab
co-chair
Dena Hiss
Steve Kummer
Tr easur er
M att Hiss
Scott Donovan
Shar on King
Chlesea M anwar r en
Katie Lear
Nikki Omenski
Janelle Lang
M ar cia Westhoff
co-chair
Debbie Ber kley
Jer r y Esfeld
Vir ginia Fullbr ight
Donna Staab
Kr isten O'Neal
Ar iella Har r ison
Angela Schepmann
Linda M ar mie
The Honor able M ar ty Clar k
Ex Officio M ember
Kar en Sessler
Cindy M eter
Donna Staab
Ar iella Har r ison
Dir ector
Nikki Omenski
Lisa W hipple
Dor is Spr ay
Shar la Woods
Tanya Staats
Rich Unr ein
Vir ginia Fullbr ight
Bookkeeper
Cindy M eter
Pr ogr am Assistant
Tr ainees
Shellie Thill
Sylvan Bleeker
Sonya Rein
Janice Walker
We appreciate all the time and commitment that our volunteers,
board, and committee members put into this agency. Each one of
you have a special place in developing Central Kansas CASA. We
thrive on the passion from individuals like yourself to help protect
neglected and abused children in the community. As our impact in
the Great Bend community grows, know that it is because of
people like yourself. People who dedicate themselves to a cause.
People who are selfless. People who are volunteers.
Thank you for all that you do to help protect children.
In-ser vice Oppor tunity for Volunteer s
Nam e ______________________________ Date _______________________
By tur ning this voucher in you w ill r eceive 30 m inutes of in-ser vice cr edit. All you have to
do is r ead the new sletter, then fill out the voucher and r etur n it to the CASA office.
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2
Nati onal Ch i l d A buse 0
1
Prev enti on M onth 5
- K eep an eye out for t he Pi nwheel s for Prevent i on out si de t he Bart on Count y
Court house. Each pi nwheel represent s a f ami l y served i n 2014 by Cent ral
K ansas CASA and t he Chi l d Advocacy Cent er - Great Bend.
- Support t he cause and wear bl ue on Apri l 10. M ake sure t o share your support
on our Facebook page by post i ng your pi ct ures of weari ng bl ue.
- Cont i nue t o show your support t hrough t he mont h of Apri l by weari ng t he bl ue
ri bbon provi ded. The Bl ue Ri bbon campai gn began i n 1989 as one woman's
t ri but e t o her grandson. She t i ed a bl ue ri bbon on her car ant enna t o symbol i ze
hi s brui ses, af t er he di ed at t he hands of hi s mot her's abusi ve part ner. I n
addi t i on t o awareness, t he Bl ue Ri bbon Campai gn al so focuses on educat i ng
i ndi vi dual s and groups on how t o bet t er prot ect chi l dren i n t hei r l i ves, and i n
our communi t y f rom chi l d abuse.
- Peopl e are encouraged t o wear a bl ue ri bbon t o show support for t he awareness
and prevent i on of chi l d abuse.
M ake meaningf ul connections with children and f amilies.
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