Community answers call to help kids.

Byline: Bill Bishop The Register-Guard

SPRINGFIELD - It took only a phone call to bring Rhonda Bray and three of her SELCO Community Credit Union co-workers to the Court Appointed Special Advocates office in Springfield this week to sort donated clothing for children in foster care.

Their quick response is no surprise to CASA Executive Director Megan Friese.

The community has a big heart for abused and neglected children in foster care - the children who CASA volunteers help find permanent homes, Friese says.

For the past year, the community has been answering the call to help CASA find its own permanent home in a drive to raise $364,000 to pay off the mortgage on its office and to renovate its training center. The campaign is in the homestretch, with hopes of raising the final $32,500 by year's end, Friese says.

Donations have been both large and small - $48,300 donated by CASA's 17 board members; $40,000 in federal grant money from the city of Springfield; $25,000 from Liberty Bank; $35,000 of in-kind donations for the training center from 32 local builders and suppliers.

And a lot of individual donations, such as a $15 check that Friese remembers in particular.

"I could tell from her handwriting that it was an older woman," Friese says. "I really believe people who really care about children in our community give what they can. That gift of $15 was probably as much as she could give. It's huge."

To boost the campaign, the Meyer Memorial Trust has awarded a challenge grant to match donations dollar for dollar to meet the goal, Friese says. Donations are tax deductible.

As the fund drive nears the end, it marks a beginning to a bigger challenge for CASA, Friese adds.

The number of local children in foster care - 976 this week - is double what it was five years ago. CASA's 70 volunteer advocates can cover only the most urgent cases.

So CASA's next project will be to recruit, train and retain 50 new volunteer advocates annually for the next five years to reach a total of 250 by 2010. The campaign is not yet ready to launch, but behind-the-scenes work has begun, Friese says.

"The board said we've got to do something different. It is not OK that children go through this system without a court-appointed special advocate. We've got to step up," she says.

By law, every child in foster care is entitled to a special advocate - a trained, objective adult appointed by a judge to oversee how the system deals with the child and to advocate for appropriate help from state agencies, schools, care providers, the court, foster parents and others.

Advocates also make written recommendations to a judge, who then decides when and under what conditions a child can be returned to a family or placed for adoption.

CASA work is not for everyone. Volunteers are screened and receive 40 hours of training before being matched with a child.

The five paid employees in the local CASA office provide training and continual support to each volunteer for the two years it usually takes for the system to place a foster child in a permanent home.

With CASA ensured of a permanent home in its renovated 1911 farmhouse, and with its new 2,000-square-foot training center, CASA staff members and volunteers will have a constant reminder of the community's support for their mission, Friese says.

"When you see the facilities, you know carpenters, plumbers, electricians, painters and others came out because they want to support the work you are doing. That is so uplifting on the days when it all feels so overwhelming," Friese says. "You see you are not alone in this battle. People care. People really do want to help. They just want to know how."

Bray says her employer gives her and her co-workers paid time off to pitch in at CASA and she gladly helps whenever asked. Her department at work, for example, adopted a foster family for the holidays.

"It's a great organization," Bray says. "For me, it's all about the kids in the community. If we're not going to help them, who is? They didn't choose to be in this situation. If there's anything I can do to make their life better, I'm there to do that."

HOMESTRETCH

After a year of fundraising, CASA of Lane County is about to buy a permanent home and training center for volunteers working with abused and neglected children in foster care.

What: The Permanent Home Campaign

Why: To raise the last $32,500 to pay off a $364,000 mortgage

To help: Donations may be mailed to: CASA, 174 Deadmond Ferry Road, Springfield, OR 97477

To volunteer: Call CASA at 984-3132 or e-mail [e-mail]

More information: Call 984-3132 or visit the Web at www.casa-lane.org

- CASA of Lane County