Not long after the school year ends, staff at CASA of the River Region begin ramping up efforts to make sure children served by the organization are equipped with the supplies they need to start the next year off on the right foot. "I arrived at CASA in June and was impressed to see the work already going into getting our kids back-to-school ready," shared Jamie Noon, CASA's new Chief Executive Officer. "There are many moving parts to the operation; it is a true team effort."
Supply donations are received from a wide variety of sources in the community. Backpacks donated from Metro United Way's Greatest Give Back day of service kicked CASA's supply drive off on a great note. Many individuals, churches and organizations made deliveries or used CASA's Amazon wish list to send most-needed items directly to the main office.
The Columbia Employee Store in Shepherdsville even granted a day of special access to individuals who donated supplies. Shannon Thornton, one of CASA's Advocacy Supervisors serving Bullitt County picked up the collection and noted, "My car is full and so is my heart. It is wonderful how the community shows up for our kids."
Over 110 children requested school supplies through CASA this year. That represents about one-fourth of those served so far in 2024. "Our CASA volunteers do a great job and really know what is going on in the lives of our children and families. If they already have what they need or are receiving supplies through another resource, they don't request from CASA. We do our best to provide the kids with their actual supply list and even take into account their favorite color for the backpack if we can," shared Karen Henderson, CASA's Director of Programs. "We had a lot of requests for pink and purple this year, and thankfully we were able to meet that demand thanks to generous donations and a lot of time and energy."
Staff and volunteers spent hours sorting items, reviewing lists, and stuffing backpacks. Many are already in the hands of young students, some of whom are back to class this week. "The children CASA serves often face many challenges outside of the classroom. Last year, two children shared they were excited because it was the first time they actually had all of their supplies to start a new school year. Being able to provide the essentials for them and alleviate that worry is priceless," added Nicole Cardwell, Director of Development for CASA. "We are so lucky to have a caring and generous community to help make it possible."
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