CASA Support

A letter from a fellow Theta:

Dear friends,

Attached is the letter one can send to your state representatives of your district, to help bring CASA's budget cuts to their attention. Please take time to find your legislators' names and with this document can mail or email your concerns. They will be considering the cuts etc. on Feb. 12, so would appreciate your help this week..

So nice to see you all at Founders Day, and thanks for your help. Please forward if have any others in mind who might help CASA retain 40% of their budget, used for recruiting and training CASA volunteers. the many children in the foster system will be truly hurt by the cutback of the only advocates they have working for the best care for each one. Currently with the funds from the state, only 50% of the foster children are helped. This cut will be devastating to CASA's work in Washington state.

PS. Please put evening of April 29 ( around 6pm) on your calendar to attend our Light of Hope event, moreon that function to come. Thanks for taking a few minutes to bring this concern to the attention of your legislators in your district.

~Marilee McCorriston

Sample Support Letter

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A letter from Kelly Stockman Reid, Executive Director of WA State CASA:

Good morning -

The Governor's proposed budget for 2009-2010 eliminates all state support for Washington State CASA. If this funding is not restored, Washington State CASA's ability to recruit and train CASA volunteers, who advocate on behalf of abused and neglected children in court, will be severely impacted.

Here's what you can do:
1) Please sign up for CASA Advocacy Day in Olympia on Feb. 12. Register online and find more details at: www.washingtonstatecasa.org

Or

2) Send a letter to your two state representatives and state senator in your legislative district asking them to restore the WA CASA funding in the final budget. A letter template is attached. (Please personalize this. Use the appropriate address line, depending on whether you are writing to a Senator or Representative, and delete the other.)

Here is the link to the website where you can look up your legislators: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/default.aspx. You can find legislator rosters and e-mail addresses at: www.leg.wa.gov

For more information, contact Aleksa at the WA CASA office: alazarewicz@wacasa.org  or 206-667-9716.

Every constituent who brings this message to their legislators makes a difference. Thank you!

~Kelly
Kelly Stockman Reid, Executive Director
Washington State CASA
Court Appointed Special Advocates for children
206-667-9716
kreid@wacasa.org