Carrie-Leigh's Holiday Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor;

They have broken bones and burns. They have been locked into closets and abandoned on the streets. They have been raped and they think it is their fault. They are our CASA children . Hundreds of abused, neglected, sexually molested, and abandoned children are desperately in need of safe and loving homes in order to live without fear. Every day our local Department of Children, Youth, and Families receives more calls reporting child abuse.

Because the stories of these children are confidential, the citizens of Chaves County remain blissfully unaware of the horrors of child abuse that occur every day in every corner of our community. Babies are born drug addicted, children are left without food, little ones are raped and some are burned – even worse, some babies are never even held.

CASA volunteers and mentors, CYFD social workers, attorneys, and the courts are working hard to meet the needs of these children. However, the holidays are quickly approaching and it is a difficult time for the children we serve.

Please consider sponsoring a child or even a family in need this holiday season. The needs range from diapers and toys, to food, to even providing a Christmas tree to a family who dreams of Santa for the first time. We are especially aware that teenagers feel very lonely at Thanksgiving and Christmas and could use special attention.

If you are interested in helping, please call 625-0112 for more information. Or e-mail casakids@dfn.com.

Thank you,


Carrie-Leigh Cloutier
Executive Director

Welcome New CASA Volunteers!

This morning Judge Currier swore in our latest batch of CASA volunteers. Welcome to the CASA family!

Congratulations to Steve Cockrell, Merilyn Robertson, Steven Ornelas, Cathy Walters, Pam Coggins, Melissa Romero and Keri Pirtle!

National Network to End Domestic Violence Gives Info to Prevent High Tech Stalking

High-Tech Stalking

Stalkers are increasingly misusing a variety of telephone, surveillance, and computer technologies to harass, terrify, intimidate, coerce, and monitor former and current intimate partners. Perpetrators are also misusing technology to stalk before, during, and after perpetrating sexual violence. This one page tipsheet introduces why it's important to respond and what agencies and partnerships can do.

Mike & Pam McLeod Call for CASA Support

Dear Friend,

Roswell has been our home for over 28 years. Pam and I have had the privilege to meet and work with many caring and generous people during that time. When we first became involved with the United Way campaign, we saw first hand how these special people were making a difference for those in need in Chaves County. We feel the CASA program exemplifies an organization that is truly helping the children of Chaves County who have no one to love and care for them. Their advocacy is saving children’s lives and providing them with a hope for their future.

Having taught in the Roswell Independent School District for 28 years, Pam has seen the faces of children that come from homes in crisis. These children suffer the consequences of bad choices made by their families. Each child has the potential to be a productive citizen but circumstances beyond their control prevent them from this right. It is only through intervention from organizations such as CASA they can reach their potential.

During this difficult economy CASA is facing severe budget cuts. Your donation truly is essential for the CASA Program to continue to provide meaningful and crucial services to the most helpless of victims.

Let us introduce you to CASA's newest staff member. This is Emma the CASA dog! Emma is a therapy dog that will work with our CASA kids to reduce trauma. She will even go to the courtroom with children and sit in the witness box with them as they testify against their abusers.

Donations to the Chaves County CASA Program stay locally in our community. 100% of your donation goes directly to programs. Your generosity will help CASA make a difference in many children’s lives.

For the Children,

Mike and Pam McLeod
Holiday Appeal Co-Chairs

P.S. Your donation will help hundreds of hurting children. The need is critical. Thank you.

"text4baby" Health Info Resource for New Mothers

The Department of Health - Family Health Bureau has partnered with “text4baby” to promote a bilingual service that sends reliable health information by cell phone to pregnant women and new mothers.

Women can sign up by texting BABY to 511411 for the English version or BEBE for the Spanish version. The women are prompted to enter their due date or their baby’s birth date. Based on that, advertisement-free health messages arrive three times a week that are relevant to the mother’s stage of pregnancy or baby’s development during the first year.

This free service is an educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. (Note: all messages from text4baby are free! Even if moms don’t have a text messaging plan, they can get these messages for free. If they have limited texting per month, text4baby won’t take away from their total amount of messages).

You can go to www.text4baby.org for more information or contact Jaymi McKay, the Maternal Health Program Manager 505-486-8908 or Elizabeth Matthews, Family Health Bureau Medical Director at 505-476-8904.

Please encourage pregnant women and new mothers to sign up for this great service.

Winter Wonderland Live Auction Items!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Wings For Life Presents Workshop on Cyber Bullying

Wings for L.I.F.E.
(Life-skills Imparted to Families through Education)
“Teen Dating Violence”
What Every Teen & Parent Should Know
Presented By
Ashley Swanson, LMSW

Cyber Bullying & Sexting-
Learn How to Protect Yourself

BBQ Dinner!
Admission FREE

Roswell Boys & Girls Club
201 S. Garden
SUNDAY, November 14, 2010
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
For Questions call: Shelly @ 317-2042
Arts & Crafts for Children in a family friendly environment
(Sitter available)

Thanks For Giving Luncheon Friday

CASA's Volunteers, donors and supporters are cordially invited to a Thanks For Giving Luncheon Friday, November 12th, 11:30 to 2:00 in the CASA Office.

CASA is grateful to our volunteers, donors, supporters, and fellow service providers for all they make possible.

During this season of thanksgiving allow us to thank you for giving to us, for helping us to save hurting children.

This is a great opportunity to meet CASA volunteers and staff and to learn more about CASA's programs.

A special thank you to Blake Meeks of Lawrence Brothers for donating the brisket! CASA staff is cooking, so you know it's going to be good.

The New Mexico CASA Network Announces its New Web Site

New Mexico CASA has a new website!

The New Mexico CASA Network (NM CASA) is a separate CASA organization that exists solely to organize the statewide network of 16CASA programs in 22 communities across New Mexico; to offer support, networking and training opportunities to those 16 local CASA programs; and to help broadcast the mission of CASA to as many people as possible. You can learn more about the other CASA programs in New Mexico and about the statewide NM CASA Network when you check out the new NM CASA website at www.nmcasa.org.

Ellen Genne, Program Director, says, "We invite you to visit the new New Mexico CASA Network website! We are so excited to unveil the public side of this new website and to see it begin educating people about the important advocacy work being done by our CASA programs throughout New Mexico! Visit us at www.nmcasa.org!"

Nick News Foster Youth Show Available as Free Download

Featuring Santa Fe CASA Youth!

A recent edition of the cable program Nick News with Linda Ellerbee focused on foster care by looking through the eyes of several youth. Among those interviewed were Connie and Starr Barber, two youth with strong connections to the northern New Mexico CASA program, and Hon. Ernestine Gray, a juvenile court judge and National CASA board member. The show is now available as a free download through the Apple iTunes store. This makes it extremely convenient to review the program, share it with volunteers or use it for trainings. Download the program through iTunes. (Note: if you do not have the free program iTunes, you can download it from the Apple website.)

Winter Wonderland 2010 Preview

Come to both branches of 1st American Bank to see the wonderful Christmas decor on display for Winter Wonderland!

111 East 5th St. & 3220 N. Main St.

CASA is so grateful to 1st American Bank, Xcel Energy, and Roswell Regional Hospital for sponsoring this gala event!

The event is November 18th at 5:00 at 1st American's main branch at 111 East 5th. Entrance is free! Everyone is welcome. Food and drink will be plentiful as we auction off almost 100 items to support CASA's work. There will be a silent auction this year too!

Click on each picture below to reveal the donors and designers:

Donations of trees, decor, and silent auction items are still welcome. For more info go here or call 625-0112.