Kay Bylenga became a CASA volunteer in 2004. In the 19 years since then, she has filled many essential supportive roles within the program: CASA volunteer, training coordinator, board member, sponsor, and donor. Kay has dedicated much of her life to supporting child advocacy and continues to champion CASA’s mission in the community.
Kay’s advocate supervisor, Amy, shared “It’s not possible to encapsulate how extraordinary Kay Bylenga is with a sentence or two. She’s spent her adult life championing the rights of children in many ways. She’s truly one of a kind, and I’m grateful to be a part of her work.”
This year, for her 70th birthday, Kay wanted to do something special. She decided that in lieu of gifts, she wanted loved ones to contribute to a cause close to her heart: advocacy for children in foster care. Kay requested that all gifts at her party be donations to CASA of Kent County; she even invited the staff to attend! The CASA of Kent County staff enjoyed a wonderful celebration of a dedicated advocate and supporter. Thank you, Kay for your generosity and commitment to CASA’s mission!
This article is part of the Summer 2023 edition of CASA Connect, CASA of Kent County’s quarterly newsletter. Click here to view a pdf version of this newsletter.
Statistics don’t lie. Sometimes, though, they do more than inform—they stop you in your tracks and demand action. That was the case for Jim Vidro, a retired math teacher turned CASA of Kent County volunteer.
West Michigan Partnership for Children (WMPC), a local nonprofit at the heart of Kent County’s foster care system, was founded in 2017 to transform how children and families experience care.
We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to our friends at Berger Chevrolet for featuring CASA of Kent County as their charity partner at their first employee luncheon of 2025!
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