CASA Youth Advocates Hosts Virtual Gala December 4

Prospect Park PA

16 November, 2020

12:13 PM

Description

MEDIA, Pa. Nov. 16, 2020– CASA Youth Advocates, Inc. today announced its annual gala will be held virtually on Friday evening, December 4. Tickets can now be purchased for the online event that will include a silent auction and watch party kits. CASA will also honor two Advocates of the Year – Norman Viss and Shanice McTear. The 2020 public health crisis has affected us all. But for those in the foster care system, struggles are exacerbated. Vulnerable and victimized children in Delaware and Chester counties were challenged educationally before schools went virtual last spring. Their families faced financial and psychological stress before the added strain of the virus. Thanks to advocates like Norman Viss and Shanice McTear, the youth CASA serves have consistent and reliable adults in their lives who speak for their best interests and often go above and beyond their role as volunteers by offering additional support. 2020 Gala Honorees Norman Viss of Broomall has devoted his life to helping others – from his missionary work, to pastoring his church, to running a healthcare agency that provides companionship care for people with dementia. When he started volunteering with CASA Youth Advocates in 2017, he and his wife had just become empty nesters. Norman was assigned to a young man named Jeremy who struggled academically. When Jeremy was given a research project to complete in school, Norman stepped in to tutor him one-on-one four days each week. Thanks to the countless hours Norman put in to making sure Jeremy succeeded, Jeremy will graduate from high school in January.Shanice McTear of Garnet Valley serves as an active-duty army recruiter and has a Master’s degree in Social Work under her belt, giving her an understanding of the struggle youth in foster care experience on a day-to-day basis. As an Educational Decision Maker for her youth Dominique, Shanice was able to enroll Dominique in high school, allowing Dominique to receive the necessary credits to graduate next year, all while developing a relationship that has helped position Dominique for success. “We’re so proud to honor Norman and Shanice this year,” said Leigh Anne McKelvey, Executive Director, CASA Youth Advocates, Inc. “Their commitment to CASA’s mission and their dedicated efforts on behalf of the youth they serve during this incredibly challenging year exemplifies the true meaning of advocacy.” In 2019, CASA Youth Advocates served 248 children in Delaware and Chester counties. They also launched Voices for Children, a multidisciplinary alliance of organizations and concerned individuals from across sectors— government, philanthropy, nonprofit, and corporate—working together to improve the lives of vulnerable and victimized children in Delaware County. Since the pandemic, the coalition quickly transformed into a network for sharing challenges and brainstorming ways to ensure that kids and families have access to the services and resources they so badly need during this crisis like food, housing assistance, internet access, mental health support, and virtual services. Event Details WHEN: Friday, December 4, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. WHERE: Virtually – at your computer or tablet TICKETS: https://e.givesmart.com/events/dZU/ About CASA Youth Advocates, Inc. CASA Youth Advocates, Inc., works to ensure that each child in Delaware and Chester counties’ child welfare systems lives well, achieves academic excellence, and experiences the joys of childhood by providing them with trained volunteer advocates who speak for their best interests with support and guidance from CASA’s professional staff of social workers and attorneys. CASA has been serving Delaware County’s children since 1992 and expanded its services to Chester County’s children in 2015. ###