Plan to join us for the 2012 Alaska CASA/GAL Conference, “Celebrating 25 years of CASA in Alaska,” on April 20 & 21, 2012, at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel.

This year’s conference will cover over 25 topics including cultural diversity, healthy families, fostering connections, mediation, kinship care, and CINA Rule 9B, to name a few. Speakers will include Gloria O’Neill, CEO of Cook Inlet Tribal Council; Michael Piraino, Executive Director of National CASA; and the return of William Hitchcock as Master of Ceremonies. There will again be a judge’s panel and presentations by Facing Foster Care in Alaska about how we can better help youth through the system. The Friday night Recognition Reception should prove to be special as we celebrate 25 years of the Alaska CASA Program and recognize outstanding work by CASA volunteers from around the state and celebrate our successes.

For more information about the conference, go to www.alaskacasa.org.

Are you a CASA volunteer who wants to attend the Alaska CASA Conference but needs some financial support?

Friends of Alaska CASA (FAC) is offering scholarships to CASA volunteers from around the state to encourage diversity, participation and attendance. Scholarships may cover air or mileage and parking, hotel, and meals. FAC will provide financial support to as many volunteers as possible, and scholarships will be awarded on a first come, first served basis until our budgeted amount has been spent.

To apply for a scholarship to attend, look for the Scholarship Application that will arrive with the Conference Brochure from the CASA Program, or contact us at info@friendsofalaskacasa.org.

Once again FAC was the beneficiary of many generous donors through the PFD Pick.Click.Give. program. FAC received donations from 52 Alaska citizens totalling $2,775 from their 2011 PFD. The FAC Board is so grateful to all those who so generously support our work. We are very fortunate to have so many wonderful supporters. Thanks to all of you!

There is still time on your 2012 PFD Application to designate a donation to FAC.

We are happy to announce that we will resume holding our annual quilt auction this year.

As it has in the past, the event will be held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving – November 17, 2012 – at the University Center Mall.  More information will follow in the next few months; we just wanted to let you know as soon as possible that we are on track and will once again be holding this extraordinary event.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Debby Hudson at 337-7990 or DebbyHudson@gci.net.

For the last two years, Facing Foster Care in Alaska (FFCA) has been working to acquire donated laptops for current and former foster youth. Since youth are frequently moved several times during their custody, keeping track of homework, family pictures, and contact information is often a real challenge. Former foster youth often face difficulties in finding permanent housing, also, so for them the challenge continues. Providing the youth with a laptop can make this situation a bit more tolerable.

If you have a laptop to donate that is no more than 3 to 4 years old, or if you know of an individual or business that wishes to donate, call Amanda at 230-8237 for details.

We are thrilled to announce that Debby Hudson, Friends of Alaska CASA board member, quilt auction organizer, and former Anchorage CASA volunteer, has been selected to receive a 2011 First Lady’s Volunteer of the Year Award. The award is given to “those who engage in unpaid volunteer activities, show remarkable personal commitment to long-term volunteer service, or have made a substantial impact on their community or the state.”

Debby was nominated by Anchorage CASA staff. In part, the nomination reads:

“During her six years of service as a CASA volunteer Debby was assigned to five cases, representing seven children…Debby also was involved with the CASA program’s nonprofit partner, Friends of Alaska CASA … [she] served on the FAC board as secretary and treasurer for six years…. While a member of the FAC board Debby, an avid quilter, conceived and organized a quilt auction as a fundraising event to benefit CASA. For the past fifteen years she has organized this quilt auction, contributing some 500 volunteer hours to the event annually…Over the years the auction has raised $263,000…but Debby didn’t stop at just organizing the auction; she has personally donated 126 quilts that have raised $13,600.”

Read the full nomination

Debby and the other five recipients of this year’s awards will be recognized at a luncheon and ceremony on April 20 in Juneau in conjunction with National Volunteer Appreciation Month.

Congratulations, Debby!

We are pleased to welcome Richard (Rick) Allen as the new director of the Office of Public Advocacy (OPA).  Rick was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska.  Rick began his legal career as a public defender on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in Lapwai, Idaho.  Rick served the tribe under a limited license while in his third year at the University of Idaho College of Law.  After graduation he moved to Houston, Texas where he joined a small law office. While in Houston, Rick practiced in the areas of criminal defense, family law and small business law. In 2003, Rick returned home to Alaska and began working as an Assistant District Attorney in the Palmer DA’s office in January 2004.  While at the DA’s office, Rick was instrumental in the development of the Palmer mental health therapeutic court.

Rick is married with two young sons. Rick enjoys outdoor activities and sporting events and is an active member of several non-profit organizations.  Rick coaches youth sports in his free time.

Rick brings energy, ideas and an enthusiastic commitment to the mission of OPA.  We are delighted to have him join the CASA team. Rick’s first day will be April 11.

by Debby Hudson, Quilt Auction Organizer

Our 15^th Annual Silent Quilt Auction was held on November 20, 2010, at our new location, The University Center Mall.  There were 179 quilts donated this year by over 94 talented and generous quilters in Alaska and the Lower 48.  Sally’s Kitchen, who has entertained the crowd at every one of our 14 previous auctions, once again filled the area with magical sounds and harmony.  Miles Allen, Sean Galvin, Casey Hoflich and Ryan McLaughlin of Asteroids, kept the attendees enthralled with their dynamic and lively music, as they have done since 2002.

Congratulations to Carolyn Akland of Cossayuna, New York, the winner of the extraordinarily gorgeous Elegant Logs raffle quilt made and machine quilted by Becky Rudisill and Sharon Berna’.  Both Becky and Sharon are 15-year supporters of our annual event and we are grateful for their dedication and generosity to CASA.

Over $26,200 was raised from the auction of quilts, sales of both CASA merchandise and raffle tickets, and cash donations.  Our deepest thanks to all that attended the event, all the auction helpers, and the following businesses:  Alaska Event Services, Alaska Home Magazine, Dina’s Cozy Cabin Quilts, Doriola’s Restaurant, Great Harvest Bread, Great Originals, Just Sew, Seams Like Home, Spenard Builders Supply, Sylvia’s Quilt Depot, The Quilt Tree, The Quilt Zone, University Center Mall, and Valley Quilters Guild.

Our 16^th annual silent quilt auction will be Saturday, November, 19, 2011, at the University Center Mall, with the deadline for submitting quilts is November 5, 2011.  We do accept quilts throughout the year.  Please contact Debby Hudson at 337-7990 or DebbyHudson@gci.net for information about this annual event.

Enjoy the slideshow of the beautiful treasures from this year’s auction.

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Friends of Alaska CASA (FAC) wishes to thank the 49 generous Alaskans who donated a total of $2,475 through the Pick.Click.Give Program! Alaskans made 14,264 donations totaling $927,075 between January 1 and May 31 when the 2010 Pick.Click.Give campaign concluded. These data are nearly double those from last year.

Missed your chance to donate to FAC through the Pick.Click.Give program? Donate now! Remember, contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Thank you for your ongoing support of FAC.