CASA’s Year of Accomplishments
Ring in the New Year with 10 Highlights from 2020!
In a year filled with challenges we never could have anticipated, join us as we look back on our incredible accomplishments of 2020. From advocates acclimating to an all-virtual world of advocacy to live-streamed fundraising events, this was a memorable year in many ways!
1. CASA’s Largest Training Class Ever
We kicked off the year netting nearly an application a day, and held our largest in-classroom training in January with 29 graduates from all over the state. It was so large, we split the class into two smaller groups.
2. Celebrating 20 Years of Snowfest
In February, we held our last in-person gathering at our 20th Annual Snowfest at Loon Mountain. Though this annual volunteer appreciation event will look a bit different in 2021, we cannot wait to see our volunteers and friends again in person!
3. Governor Sununu Declares CASA Appreciation Day
In April, in the midst of Child Abuse Prevention Month and Volunteer Appreciation Week, Gov. Chris Sununu dedicated a few minutes of his COVID-19 daily briefing to declare April 22 as CASA Appreciation Day.
4. First Virtual Information Session Launched
Also in April, we held our first-ever virtual information session. Since then, we’ve held 18 more, registering more than 700 people who have either attended or were sent a link to review the session on their own. We will continue to host three per month through 2021.
5. Virtual Training Takes Off With Dual Classes
In May we launched our first-ever virtual training class! Read the enthusiastic endorsement from one of our online training attendees and watch our new video that highlights this new virtual training opportunity, produced by Heartwood Media.
Since the beginning of 2020, we have had one in-person training class with 31 graduates and 8 virtual training classes with 149 virtual graduates!
6. New Hampshire Gives Day Success
On June 9, you helped make NH Gives Day our most successful day of giving ever. With the support of 164 amazing donors, we raised over $42,000 in a single day, landing us at #11 on the NH Gives leaderboard!
7. On Tap for CASA Thank You Event
In September, we held a special thank you event at New England Tap House Grille’s outdoor biergarten with a live-streamed performance by the Rebel Collective in lieu of the On Tap for CASA team competition fundraising event. We appreciate all of our On Tap participants who had already raised more than $20,000 by the time the event was canceled. We’re looking forward to hosting On Tap for CASA when it is safe to gather again!
8. CASA Cares for the Community
On September 25, we hosted our first virtual annual fundraiser, CASA Cares for the Community, streaming live to an audience of more than 300 on Facebook and YouTube! Through sponsorships, the appeal and a live and silent auction, CASA Cares raised more than $200,000 for New Hampshire’s abused and neglected children!
9. CASA’s 31st Annual Celebration
Also in September, we hosted our our 31st annual celebration recognizing all of our active advocates, many of whom reached important milestones! Six celebrated 20-years of advocacy, seven celebrated 15-years, 17 celebrated 10-years, and 32 celebrated 5-years! This year’s event was a true celebration of incredible resilience through a difficult year.
10. Manchester’s Judge Carbon Named National Judge of the Year
During its annual conference, the National CASA/GAL Association for Children announced Manchester Circuit Court Judge The Hon. Susan B. Carbon as the recipient of this year’s Hon. David W. Soukup Judge of the Year award. “There is no award that means more than this for a family court judge,” she said in her remarks. “This is a gift and an honor I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
Watch her acceptance of the award here.
11. Celebrating our Board of Directors!
A special thank you to our Board of Directors. These 10 accomplishments would not have been possible without their dedicated leadership!
Thank you to our staff, advocates, donors, and board members for believing in our mission and helping us to reach our goal, no matter what life is sending our way. We all send our heartfelt support to those who have faced difficult struggles in 2020. Regardless of what next year brings, our mission is to continue providing advocacy for abused and neglected children with the help of our advocates and friends like you.
See you next year!
