Senate Resolution No. 749

BY: Senator O'MARA

COMMEMORATING the 30th Anniversary of Court
Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) of the Southern
Tier, Inc.

WHEREAS, A great community is only as great as those persons and
organizations that provide exemplary service, whether through
participation in voluntary programs, through unique personal achievement
in their profession or other endeavors, or simply through a lifetime of
good citizenship; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the
30th Anniversary of Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) of the
Southern Tier, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, For three decades, CASA of the Southern Tier, Inc. has
diligently worked to recruit and train volunteers to advocate for the
best interest of abused and neglected children in Family Court; and

WHEREAS, CASA of the Southern Tier, Inc. defines its target
population as those children in foster care, or at risk of foster care,
who are the subjects of ongoing Family Court Article 10 Abuse and
Neglect proceedings; children assigned are of any age between birth and
up to 21 years of age, any gender, ethnicity and income level; and

WHEREAS, CASA is an unduplicated service program which provides
trained volunteers who represent the best interest of abused/maltreated
children in Family Court proceedings; CASA of the Southern Tier, Inc. is
one of over 900 programs nationwide, with a core of more than 85,000
volunteers advocating for children's right to a safe, secure and
permanent loving home; and

WHEREAS, In New York State, there are 18 local programs covering 30
counties with approximately 600 volunteers that serve over 3,000
children; currently, CASA of the Southern Tier serves children in Family
Court within Chemung, Steuben and Schuyler Counties averaging 25-35
volunteers a year while serving between 75-120 children; and

WHEREAS, CASA of Chemung County, Inc. began when the New York Task
Force on Permanency Planning and the Junior League of Elmira approached
the Chemung County Family Court about the benefits to be gained using
CASA volunteers in Family Court; in 1994, the agency expanded services
to Schuyler County, and in 2002, CASA expanded into Steuben County, and
formally became CASA of the Southern Tier, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, For 30 years, CASA of the Southern Tier has strived to
ensure every child is in a safe, secure, and loving home; and

WHEREAS, The success of CASA of the Southern Tier is in direct
correlation to the efforts of its staff, whose involvement is, and
always has been, characterized by an impressive commitment, an unbridled
enthusiasm, and an uncompromising standard of excellence in all
endeavors on behalf of the institution and the community it serves; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when
individuals and organizations of such noble aims and accomplishments are
brought to our attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by
all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Court Appointed Special Advocate
(CASA) of the Southern Tier, Inc.; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to CASA of the Southern Tier, Inc.