Blog & Events

Monroe County CASA is pleased to announce the third annual “Safe Homes, Safe Kids” quilt raffle. Tickets are now available, but the quilt, made by Pat Surra, will be raffled off at the Fourth Street Arts Festival on September 4th 2016. The quilt design was created by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts and then the design was modified by Surra. The quilt is titled “Homestead” and features houses made of different fabrics in different colors that represent the uniqueness of families in real homes in a community. “To me, quilts are more than a lot of pieces of fabric sewn together. They ...

Monroe County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is delighted to announce donations totaling $18,000 from the Monroe County 100+ Women Who Care group. At their February 2016 meeting, the 100+ Women Who Care group selected CASA as the recipient for their quarterly award. CASA will also receive a $10,000 match from other community donors. To date, the 100+ Women Who Care group has contributed nearly $450,000 to different not-for-profits in Monroe County since the group was founded in November 2011. Monroe County CASA is a volunteer-powered program which provides representation in juvenile court for child victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and ...

Posted: Saturday, June 27, 2015 2:00 am Special to the H-T | 0 comments A handmade quilt will be raffled to benefit Monroe County CASA. “Quilts represent comfort and warmth and security to me. It just seemed so appropriate for the CASA cause.” says master quilter, Pat Surra. The quilt was handmade locally by Surra, an expert quilter, from a pattern by designer Judy Martin entitled “Kentucky Log Cabin.” It is sized to fit a queen or king bed, is made entirely from cotton and is machine-washable. “Whenever I complete a project like this, I have very mixed emotions. The ...

Deputy Prosecutor Cheryl Polarek of Porter County along with her Courthouse Dog Tony and Sally Irvin, PhD, Program Director of ICAN accompanied by dog in training Jamie joined the Courthouse Dog team to share with the Monroe County Judiciary and other stakeholders the benefits of bringing a Courthouse Dog to our community. ICAN and have our first interview on July 2nd. We are thrilled to have such great community support already. Although the process of matching a canine partner to our needs here in Monroe County can take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years we are in ...

Cheryl Polorek, Deputy Prosecutor in Porter County and her dog Tony Without Tony, a 7-year-old child in Porter County might not have had the courage to testify against an older child accused of molesting her. Without Tony, anxiety might have kept a woman from testifying against the man she accused of multiple incidents of domestic violence — testimony that sent her abuser to prison. “I don’t know if we would have gotten her through the deposition (without him),” said Cheryl Polarek, a deputy prosecuting attorney with Porter County. “Once he was there with her, she really relied on ...

Our opinion H-T Editorial Board Making a difference in the life of a child June 30, 2010, last update: 6/29 @ 7:42 pm The Court Appointed Special Advocates program has distinct disadvantages in the scramble for volunteers. First, it can be really hard work and work that is extremely important to do well. Second, it’s a commitment that takes significant training. Third, it’s not a volunteer opportunity that will get you into the paper, not that that’s a serious reason most people volunteer for any charitable enterprise. But be assured, there are no cute pictures of leaf rakers for seniors ...

Monroe County CASA Brings Foster Care Issues and Need for CASA Volunteers to Life Through the Forgotten Children Campaign Pictures of the Forgotten Children   Bloomington, IN – Every year children enter the Monroe County foster care system, due to suspected parental abuse or neglect. Monroe County CASA is a local nonprofit organization that trains community volunteers to speak for the best interests of children involved in juvenile court due to abuse and neglect. To raise awareness about abused and neglected children and the need for more CASA volunteers, Monroe County CASA is hosting a Forgotten Children Campaign. The “forgotten ...