As members of the University of Richmond Greek System, as well
as members of the Kappa Alpha Theta fraternity, we participate
in a wide variety of service-oriented activities. Such activities
include our annual Theta Kickball, which is an event that raises
proceeds for Theta's philanthropy, CASA. Court-Appointed Special
Advocates, or CASAs, are the persons provided for children passing
through the court system; CASAs ensure that no child is allowed
to "slip through the cracks," and that all children
facing difficult situations are placed in proper, beneficial homes.
Other events include Theta 5K-run and Kite-fly egghunt. Beyond
CASA, our Epsilon Psi chapter participates in campus-wide philanthropic
events such as Sigma Chi's Derby Days, Delta Gamma's Anchorsplash,
and Pi Beta Phi's lip sync.
The Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation, the fraternity's philanthropic
arm, supports the Fraternity's educational programs and Court
Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). The Foundation also awards
more than $200,000 in graduate and undergraduate scholarships
to members annually.
CASA, the fraternity's international philanthropy is a program that helps to serve children that are victims of abuse and neglect. CASA selects volunteers to help these children. A CASA volunteer is a trained citizen who is appointed by a Judge to represent the best interest of a child in court. The volunteer also provides a carefully researched background of the child he or she is representing in court. This volunteer must make a suggestion to the judge determining if it is in the child's best interest to stay with his or her parents, be placed in foster care, or be freed for permanent adoption.
CASA has proven to be very effective. Preliminary findings show that children who have been assigned CASA volunteers tend to spend less time in court and less time within the foster care system than those who do not have CASA representation. Today there are 641 CASA programs in operation with almost 40,000 men and women serving as CASA volunteers. To find out more about CASA visit their web site at http://www.nationalcasa.org/
Kappa Alpha Theta contributes to the funding of the National
CASA Association through the participation in community service
activities designed by each individual chapter.
Other CASA Web Sites:
*mother.com/~mjrogers/CASA.html
*uchicago.edu/orgs/casa/
*henricocasa.org