CASA Around Town
A Voice for Every Child
There are times when I find myself alone in the CASA office suite. Usually it's late in the day (never early in the morning, mind you) or on a...
This summer, we’ve had a blast connecting with community members from across Kent County. Spreading the word about our work is key to helping children in foster care receive the advocacy they deserve. We love to share how CASA volunteers make a difference, and invite more Kent County residents to get involved!
Volunteer Interest Mixers
In June, we held one of our favorite events: Men at the Mitten! This event brings together experienced male CASA volunteers and other men interested in learning about advocacy. Half of the children that CASA serves are boys, but only 19% of CASA volunteers are men. Our team is working to bridge that gap so the boys that we serve can have strong male role models to speak up for them in court. The CASA team was excited to welcome 15 community members to Mitten Brewing Company to learn more about volunteering.
CASA also had the opportunity to collaborate with community crafting organization Hot Glue Creux to host our first-ever Crafts with CASA event at New Holland Brewing. Together, CASA volunteers and guests created custom buttons that reflected CASA’s mission and values while discussing the importance of community advocacy.
Kent County Community Fests
We were honored to join our partners at Kent County for their annual North and South Community fests. We traveled to Byron Center and Cedar Springs this summer to engage with community members about our work. We’re grateful for our long-standing partnership with the 17th Circuit Court Family Division that allows us to continue providing best-interest advocacy for Kent County’s foster care population!
These engagements allow us to raise awareness, recruit new volunteers, and build relationships with local partners who are passionate about supporting the Kent County community. We love meeting new people and sharing the impact that CASA volunteers make every day!
Do you want to raise awareness about CASA’s mission? Invite us to your workplace, church, book club, or community event!
Contact our team at casa@kentcountymi.gov to learn more!
This story is featured in the Fall 2026 edition of CASA Connect, CASA of Kent County’s quarterly newsletter. Click here to view a pdf version of this newsletter.
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A Glimpse into CASA Training
As the CASA staff member in charge of volunteer recruitment, I get a lot of questions about what training is like. So, I decided to find out for myself! I attended all five weeks of training, completed online pre-work, observed a court hearing, and was even sworn in as an officer of the court.
When We Work Together Children Soar
At CASA of Kent County, we embrace five values that drive our work: Be Curious, Forge Community Connections, Strive for Excellence, Take the Next Right Step, and Believe in CASA’s Mission. Earlier this year, Executive Director Stephanie Sheler asked staff members to decorate their doors to represent each of those values. Some were more enthused than others by the thought of arts and crafts, but everyone jumped in with unique ideas of how to represent their assigned value.
Keep In Touch With CASA
Being an informed community member will better equip you to advocate for vulnerable children in our community. Subscribe to our email list to stay up to date on CASA of Kent County news, stories, events, and more. We promise not to overwhelm you with too many emails!
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