CASA Newsletter
December 2011

 CASA needs your support!

With government funding being slashed in these difficult times, your contributions become ever more important.
PEACEMAKERS PREVENTION PROGRAM
and the VISITATION CENTER,
two very important CASA programs, are in danger of being eliminated. We cannot let this happen. If you have already donated, please consider a year end gift. If you have not made your gift this year, please consider making one now by clicking here.

  From all the families of CASA, THANK YOU,
and May 2012 bring Peace to us All.  

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The 15th Annual CASA Peace Breakfast
December 8, 2011

Annual CASA Peace Breakfast attendees about to take their seats in the historic St. Petersburg Coliseum. More than 500 people joined prominent business and civic leaders to support Community Action Stops Abuse (CASA) for the 15th anniversary of the Peace Breakfast.

CASA Peace Breakfast Chair, Craig Sher, and CASA Trustees Chair, Jim Albright, share an expression of welcome and gratitude for the impressive turn-out and for the evident commitment of so many to end domestic violence in our community through support for CASA programs.

Emcee Lissette Campos, of ABC Action News, wearing the color purple as a sign of her commitment to serving survivors of domestic violence, wove together a varied program. Representations of the many faces of domestic abuse reminded attendees of its widespread effects in our community. Lissette introduced the showing of a video of CASA volunteers who call themselves "Team Hope." The video was created by ABC Action News for their Prime Time Special 'Taking Action Against Domestic Violence' which first aired in October 2011. Team Hope completely furnishes and decorates apartments at CASA Transitional Housing for survivors to move into.

John Stross presented the John E. Stross Victory over Violence Award to Lorraine Yaslowitz, wife of slain police officer Jeffrey Yaslowitz (representing herself as well as the wives of Officers Baitinger and Crawford, also killed in the line of duty). Officers Yaslowitz and Baitinger were killed serving a warrant for a man charged with aggravated battery including domestic violence. Officer Crawford worked closely with staff and participants at CASA and showed a special understanding and compassion for victims of domestic abuse.

Andre Smith, a junior Musical Theatre major at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School, performed a monologue, "I Hate My Life, a Teenager's Story." Andre gave the Peace Breakfast attendees a glimpse into the childhood and youth of a boy who grew up as a victim of his father's abuse.

Linda Mobley (center, back row) and her table of guests at the CASA Peace Breakfast. Linda wrote the piece performed by Andre (center, front row), in the voice of her son, as a way to communicate her life experience as a survivor of domestic abuse and as one who has seen first-hand the harmful effect of violence on children and youth. Linda made a moving appeal for support of young victims and support for CASA as the source of help for survivors of abuse in Pinellas County.

Linda Osmundson, Executive Director at CASA, addresses the Peace Breakfast, reminding all of the opportunities to support a new shelter able to house the 1,000 survivors of domestic violence seeking help in 2011 who had to be sent elsewhere for lack of space in the current shelter.

The 15th Annual CASA Peace Breakfast portrayed both a broad and nuanced view of domestic violence in our community and called for those who live here to rise to the challenge of creating a community which is safe for all of its citizens.

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More End-of-2011 Events!

The Women's Half Marathon in downtown St. Petersburg on November 20th was sponsored by Women's Running Magazine to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, with CASA as a local beneficiary. CASA Board Member and Trustee, Sheila King, organized Team CASA and raised more than $10,000 to support CASA programs. Hearty congratulations to Sheila and Team CASA for their expansion from 4 runners in 2010 to 40 runners in 2011. Watch your CASA e-mails for news of next year's marathon and Plan to Run for CASA!!

Jessica Howard (in red top, surrounded by her son and two daughters), at the dedication of her very own Habitat for Humanity home. Jessica came to the CASA shelter as a survivor of domestic violence, eventually found a job, moved into CASA transitional housing, won custody of her young daughters, applied for and received a vehicle from Wheels of Success, and, finally, applied for and helped build her new home (above), dedicated on December 10, 2011. Jessica took advantage of CASA staff and program support and has emerged as a solid, self-supporting mother and citizen of Pinellas County. Her story is a tribute to her own strength and persistence in moving toward her goals, and a tribute to the help that CASA was able to give her thanks to the support of CASA donors. With her at the dedication, were CASA staff (pictured left to right) Stuart Berger, Development Director, Charlene Cook, Youth Services Coordinator, Brenda Goodman, Transitional Housing Coordinator, Amber Shepard, Youth Advocate, and, beyond Jessica, Cynthia Ivey, Transitional Housing Advocate.

Helping and having fun, CASA volunteers (and some staff) sort Hope for the Holidays donations which will go to CASA residents as well as participants in the CASA Outreach program. From left to right, they are: Doug Brown, Donna Smith, Danielle Schaffer (Volunteer Coordinator), Fred Bell (in back), Erica Florence, Michelle Bailey (CASA Advocate with the State Attorney's Office) and Laura Grimes.

Frank and Karen Kolbasa (and Elf Barbara), known at the CASA Shelter as Santa and Mrs. Klaus from 4Kids Charity, bring an old-fashioned Christmas to the shelter with gifts for all the children. To ensure their safety, no photos of CASA children are published. In their place are CASA shelter staff, Vanessia Washington, Sara Frase, Shawn Veazey (Shelter Coordinator), Cassandra Butler, Monique Johnson, Roy Harris, Bonnie Marshall (Residential Director) and Linda Osmundson (Executive Director).

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Leave a Legacy when planning your estate.

Including the following information for your bequest will allow you to impact the future of survivors of domestic violence and their children:


Community Action Stops Abuse (CASA)
P.O. Box 414
St. Petersburg, Florida 33731
Federal Tax I.D. #59-2114359

For more information, contact Stuart Berger,
Development Director, at (727) 895-4912 x 114,
or e-mail sberger@casa-stpete.org

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