I am about half-way through my program with Leadership St. Petersburg. It's been a really great experience so far and we are starting our final push to complete the class project. The project is a renovation of the CASA shelter in St. Petersburg. For those not familiar with CASA, it is a not-for-profit organization founded over 25 years ago. The name is an acronym for Community Action Stops Abuse and it's mission is to raise our voices against violence through advocacy, empowerment, and social change.
Many of the people CASA helps are fleeing a domestic environment that is physically abusive. They seek temporary shelter, transitional housing and support for themselves and often time, their children.
You can help this organization in many ways, including volunteering as an advocate, child care assistant, life skills coach, community educator or thrift shoppe assistant. For some of these positions you will need to submit to a background check and be certified. Others you do not. For more information, check out their website at:
http://www.casa-stpete.org
Another way to support CASA is by helping me to raise money for the Leadership St. Pete class project. We are raising money to renovate several rooms in the CASA shelter and need both cash and materials donations. The labor is being done by my class and I'll be getting my hands dirty, along with the rest of my 2010 LSP classmates.
CASA and Leadership St. Petersburg representatives were recently on the 10Connects program, Studio 10 to discuss the project and the work done by the CASA organization. Here is a link to that show segment.
http://www.studio10.tv/video/segment.aspx/126173/99766/Leadership_St_Pete_Give_CASA_a/Help_Support_CASA.asx.
Your cash donation it would really help out. Every dollar counts so if you can give $10, that's great. My goal is to raise $400.00. I'm donating both time and money for this project and I will apply to my corporate employer, the Gannett Corporation, for matching funds. That way we can double our donations so a $20 donation from you is actually a $40.00 and that's 10 percent of my goal. I will get a letter from CASA for all donations so you can get the tax write-off.
You can send me a check, or go to the Leadership St. Petersburg website and donate using a credit card.
http://www.leadership.stpete.com
Any help will be appreciated by me as well as those who get shelter from CASA. It's a great opportunity to give to those less fortunate and helping a worthy cause always makes you feel good. If you have any questions call me at 727.252.8540 and thank you again.
