Clergy CASA & Community Onboarding Kickoff

Clergy, CASA and Community (CCC) is an initiative by Texas CASA to build a network of faith communities and leaders to champion speaking up for local children in foster care and their families. The goal is to see communities and clergy leaders come together to live out their calling and be a voice for the children who need them, and to develop a rich network that engages new volunteers and supporters of the CASA mission. 

The CCC initiative continues to grow and thanks to the support from Blue Bell Creameries and The Meadows Foundation, Texas CASA recently hosted the 2025 Clergy, CASA and Community Kick-Off meeting at the Embassy Suites, Round Rock, TX. The objectives of the meeting were to officially welcome seven new local programs to the initiative, expand learning on successful CCC implementation, provide a space for members to network in person and help them develop a personal vision for how their programs can be effective. The day began with a presentation by Jenny Andrews from the Texas Council of Catholic Bishops and Ariel Sanchez from CASA of West Texas. Andrews and Sanchez spoke about the Catholic church’s St. Joseph ministry and how to effectively partner with churches in ministry, gave examples from their experience and presented practical advice about long-term relationship development. Next on the agenda was a CCC expert panel Q&A with panel members: Sara McCaffrey – CASA volunteer, CASA of Central Texas; Joel Perrite – Ministries Pastor, Vista Community Church; Kevin Kyle- Executive Director, CASA of Bell and Coryell Counties; Afshan Zakaria – National Program Coordinator, ICNA Relief; and Ishfaq Ahmad – CASA volunteer, Dallas CASA. Following the panel was a Subject Matter Expert Table Presentation with Melinda King (Dallas CASA), Jade Dimitri (CASA of Central Texas), and Ariel Sanchez (CASA of West Texas) where participants rotated to different tables. After a delicious lunch break, the day ended with a CCC Café where attendees broke out into three teams to discuss key takeaways from the meeting, including new ideas on how to partner and engage with CASA volunteers and staff, faith groups and the community at large, and lastly, goal setting for the future.

“Imagine the profound impact when the unwavering compassion of faith communities unites with the dedicated advocacy of CASA,” states Dennise Jackson, Texas CASA Strategic Network Support Director and one of the creators of Clergy, CASA and Community. “Often the very first beacons of hope for families navigating the storm of crisis, churches stand as vital initial responders. Faith communities are often the first to lend a hand when families hit tough times. That makes partnering with them so important for CASA. When a family’s life is turned upside down and they’re facing a confusing new system, CASA volunteers can be the steady support they need. By working together, we help these children and their families find their way through.”

Faith communities are a tremendous resource that CASA programs throughout Texas can turn to. We are so inspired by the work the local programs are doing to engage, activate and partner with diverse faith communities as a way to recruit volunteers, as well as to build support for children, their parents, families, foster families and adoptive families. We are honored to give a warm welcome to the seven new local programs that joined the CCC initiative this year:

• CASA of Deep East Texas
• CASA of South Texas
• CASA for the Cross Timbers Area
• CASA of Northeast Texas
• CASA of Tarrant County
• CASA of North Texas
• North Star CASA

Thank you to all who attended the CCC kick-off meeting. We are deeply grateful for the work you put in to making this initiative thrive and we are excited to see the outcomes of your work in 2025 and beyond!