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Connecticut CASA |
Jul 25, 2022 8:00 am
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Connecticut CASA, a New Haven-based nonprofit organization, submitted the following account of a recent event held on its behalf. … The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) movement, now in the Waterbury as well as New Haven child protection courts, is growing toward statewide reach. (See the Newsroom.)
Addressing “Music, Culture, Social Change,” the evening featured a panel discussion moderated by Jeffrey Ogbar, Professor of History and founding Director of the Center for the Study of Popular Music at UConn. Panelists were:
Brandon Sherrod (on Spotify here) played the piano and sang, too. Though he also writes and performs original songs (for example, “Corona Freestyle”) and has a new album due out in October, on this occasion Brandon did acoustic renditions of “Lean on Me” (by Bill Withers) and “Ordinary People” (by John Legend).
Sponsors were Yale University, Claire’s Corner Copia, NewAlliance Foundation, and Russell Hall Co. Chef Claire Criscuolo of Claire’s donated catering, with the Wine Thief donating wine.
Historical Context, Music, Identity, Mental Health
Professor Ogbar — as a historian whose next book, for Basic Books, is on white nationalism in the shaping of Atlanta — framed the discussion with allusions to figures ranging from Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke, and Nina Simone to Woody Guthrie. Then, Jeff Ogbar (who grew up in Chicago and Los Angeles in the 1970s and ’80s before attending Morehouse College in Atlanta) spoke of the 1980s, when urban deindustrialization, fraying social safety nets, rising crime and incarceration coincided with the rise of hip-hop. He noted that the genre has seen both misogyny and female empowerment, glorification of materialistic capitalism and critiques of extreme inequality, mass incarceration, and violence.
Lisa Dent, with a career across artistic media before her current leadership role at Artspace, evoked “Prince and the Revolution” as a point of departure, for not only music but understanding of gender fluidity and other matters of identity. As the conversation moved from music and culture to mental health, she remembered her late father, a psychiatrist who preceded her at Howard University and became a trusted confidant to many, including to fellow Black men.
The challenge of sharing one’s vulnerability, especially in the public eye and especially given bias around Black masculinity, was another theme.
Brandon Sherrod spoke about intersections of artists and athletes. A native of Bridgeport, he came to prominence nationally when, as a Yale political science student and member of the men’s basketball team, he left the university during 2014 – 15 to tour the world as a Whiffenpoof singer. (See articles in the New York Times, Guardian, ESPN, Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated, etc. ) He returned a year later, helping his team to win the Ivy League and defeat Baylor in the NCAA tournament, while setting the NCAA record for consecutive field goals. Since, he spent five years playing pro basketball (and speaking Italian) in Italy, before playing in Finland and then Israel in 2021 – 22. As noted at the July 14 Benefit event, he is playing this summer with the “Nerd Team” in a national tournament televised by ESPN.
(That team won its first two games, Brandon among three former Yale players — with Azar Swaim and Jordan Bruner — in the starting lineup. The team is scheduled to play again Monday night, July 25, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.)
Along the way, Brandon is creating his own musical catalog with pioneering label Spinach Records.
Bradford Watson, his colleague as CEO/Founder of Spinach Records, spoke about the label’s fundamental emphasis on artists’ mental health. A graduate of Wilbur Cross High School and more recently of Harvard, he recalled meeting Brandon in New Haven — while the latter was a Yale undergraduate and Brad Watson himself was still in high school. Their artistic collaboration continues to develop, as Spinach Records now has a recording space in midtown Manhattan, while balancing music with artists’ well-being.
Q & A with the Audience
In attendance were not only Board and other volunteers for Connecticut CASA (such as Advisory Council member Jessica Sager of All Our Kin) but also a range of leaders and advocates from across the region — from Ronnell Higgins of Yale University to Dotty Weston-Murphy of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and Lauren Ruth of CT Voices for Children.
Amos Smith, who as CEO of the Community Action Agency of New Haven was one of four colleagues from that agency at the July 14 event, commented as a former clinician himself — on the power he saw in this public discussion of mental health (days before the new national 988 hotline took effect).
In response to a question from Lindy Lee Gold (whose civic leadership with nonprofits from ‘r Kids to Christian Community Action is well documented), Bradford Watson explained that Spinach Records is indeed now a B Corp, after having begun in the form of an LLC.
Brad Watson also conveyed the label’s ironically named Instagram handle: @SpinachGang. The company obviously defies stereotypical assumptions about “gangs,” while offering camaraderie and mutual support to its community.
“Community” was a word that Brandon Sherrod used in concluding with his singing of Bill Withers’ and John Legend’s songs, each of which elicited rousing applause.
(In the days ahead, see Connecticut CASA’s YouTube channel for video of Brandon’s rendition of “Lean on Me” — piano and voice.)
Community is also (with collaboration, integrity, respect, quality, service, and stewardship) among Connecticut CASA’s core values.
Connecticut CASA Growing
The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) movement is now in Waterbury as well as New Haven, the two largest Child Protection courts, growing toward statewide reach. (See the Newsroom.)
The CASA program model assumes 1 staff person for each 30 volunteers, on average serving 75 children in need. Working with professionals in the child welfare system, Connecticut CASA’s volunteers are supervised by staff who ensure high-quality advocacy and follow-through, including regular reporting to judges.
The CASA approach is associated with greater stability, fewer placements and increased permanency for children, as those with CASA volunteers are only half as likely to return to the foster care system and spend 25% less time there, with a one-on-one connection to an adult and greater access to community services through the sustained, resourceful efforts of that caring adult. Connecticut CASA is governed by a Board, who with an Advisory Council, Ambassadors, and professional staff extend the reach of Volunteers for children’s best interests.
CASA volunteers meet with children regularly, getting to know them and their circumstances — including teachers and social workers, foster parents and families. CASA receives court appointments in both Foster Care and Protective Supervision cases. Carefully screened and trained through a systematic curriculum and part of a national network recognized for improving outcomes, CASA volunteers make evidence-based recommendations to judges. At the center: these caring, consistent volunteers’ relationships with the children themselves — with whom these adults can make a lifelong difference through one-on-one interactions at a difficult time.
Connecticut CASA is funded through a blend of public dollars, foundation grants, individual donations, and sponsorships such as those that made the July 14 Benefit possible.
As summer kicks into full swing, the Dixwell Q House announces a new Farmers Market in collaboration with CitySeed. The Farmers Market will occur at the Dixwell Q House plaza (197 Dixwell Avenue) every Wednesday from 3 pm to 6 p.m. starting on June 22nd until October 26th. The Q‑House Farmers Market is a partnership also involving LEAP, the Stetson Branch of the New Haven Public Library, the City of New Haven’s Dixwell-Newhallville Senior Center, and Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center. Opening day for the Farmers Market will bring together Connecticut farmers, artists, musicians, community members, and, most importantly, plentiful fresh food in the heart of the neighborhood.
Friends Center for Children sent in this article and these photos about a recent event it organized.
What do we want? To fix child care! – and have some fun along the way.
Last Saturday marked the 10th New Haven Family Stroll and Festival, an annual event to raise awareness and much-needed funds for high-quality early care and education. After a two-year Covid-induced hiatus, this year’s event grew by over 300 people and had over 1,220 children, parents, educators and advocates converge at the Quinnipiac River Park for a day of awareness, fundraising and family fun
The Board of the Connecticut Children’s Museum submitted this article.
The board of the Connecticut Children’s Museum is delighted to welcome Jessica Bialecki as the new executive director and third leader of the institution.
LEAP co-founder Anne Calabresi, LEAP alumna Yvonne Temple, LEAP co-founder Roz Meyer, and LEAP alumna Tomi Veale.
The following was submitted by LEAP:
It’s not every day that you have the chance to share a meal with the Dean of Yale’s School of Management or rub elbows with a CNN host and best-selling author. The opportunity to cross paths with the production designer of Hollywood’s most complex cinematic universe arises maybe once in a blue moon. Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership’s (LEAP) annual LEAP Year Event (LYE) promises those opportunities and more for New Haveners and supporters across the globe.
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Jose Sala and Lisa Rodriguez |
Dec 22, 2021 3:08 pm
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This year as part of the Wreaths Across America, James Hillhouse High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) honored the veterans by placing armed services wreaths at Westville Cemetery.
Recent youth-led “climate strike” action at City Hall.
The following letter to Mayor Justin Elicker, who has promised to make addressing climate change a focus one priority of his upcoming second term, was written by members of the youth-led New Haven Climate Movement.
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Lillian Price & Winter Szarabajka |
Nov 8, 2021 9:02 am
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Lillian Price Photos
Sixth-grader Samantha Braren getting her Covid-19 vaccine.
This story was submitted by Elm City Montessori seventh-graders Lillian Price & Winter Szarabajka.
Elm City Montessori School (ECMS) Friday hosted one of the first Covid-19 vaccine clinics for children between the ages of 5 and 11. Many families with young children showed up from around New Haven, particularly Westville, hoping to receive their first dose of the vaccine.
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Barbara Chesler, Steve Driffin and Pastor Valerie Washington |
Oct 29, 2021 9:11 am
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Emily Hays Photo
2020: It was the best of times and the worst of times. If there had to be a rewrite of the Charles Dickens classic, it could revolve around our current times. COVID-19 struck like an unexpected tsunami. As devastating as the virus still is, during its early stages, it — for just a moment — made us all take a moratorium and stop and be still. Maybe we had to realize just how vulnerable we are and, like dust in the wind, can be gone at any given moment. That we should appreciate the sand in our hourglass and love more and not value the things that are value-less. Perhaps this lesson is far from over.
In the wake of a dire report on the planet’s future, two dozen activists held a demonstration Friday on the Green calling for local and global action on climate change.
These photos and the following write-up were submitted by the New Haven Preservation Trust.
This year, the New Haven Preservation Trust celebrates its 60th Anniversary and recognizes the creativity and preservation of some unique structures built in the founding year of 1961. The Trust also reflects on the prescient and deeply relevant vision of one of its founders and embraces a New Haven partner with the shared spirit of appreciation of our city’s multi-cultural heritage.
The following release and these photos were sent in by a nonprofit looking for students to participate in summer and fall rowing programs on Long Wharf.
Crew Haven Corporation and Canal Dock Boathouse have partnered to create the Crew Haven Youth Rowing Program, a Sports Based Youth Development program that will bring competitive and recreational rowing, as well as academic after-school programming, to students in underrepresented communities in New Haven. The program, which launches this Fall, will be underwritten by Crew Haven Corporation (“CHC”) and operated by the Canal Dock Boathouse.
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John Hinrichs & Lisa Rodriguez |
May 26, 2021 8:34 am
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Contributed Photos
After two years of pandemic-induced cancellations, the James Hillhouse High School Army JROTC was back at a leadership camp.
This time, instead of lasting two weeks, the camp was one day long. And it was at Stone’s Ranch Military Reservation in East Lyme instead of Massachusetts.
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Melinda Tuhus |
Mar 16, 2021 9:30 am
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Contributed Photo
Outraged Elders Monday on the Green.
Activist Melinda Tuhus submitted the following write-up about an event she helped organize on the Green Monday.
Dori Dumas wanted to celebrate Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s birthday on March 15, so she pitched the idea to the other members of the core group of Outraged Elders.
James Rawlings (pictured at right), executive director of Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Southern CT, sent in this write-up and these photos.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Southern Connecticut submitted the following release about a national grant it has received to help vulnerable youth.
“I was walking past Lucibello’s this morning,” Bruce Seymour wrote in on Thursday after visiting the Grand Avenue Italian pastry shop, “and was inspired to send you these pictures.
“The line runs AROUND the building. Everyone socially distancing, and getting some of the best cookies in the world.
“There’s a lot of us that are still out here. I’ve known people who fell asleep outside and died.”
Steve Hamm Photo
“Before you could walk into the library and stay there. You could look for jobs. You could look for food pantries. Without a phone, without internet access, it’s very difficult for people living in tents, living outdoors.”
Sizing up the challenge ahead — and how we as a community can meet it.
The following article was submitted by local clergy and other community leaders:
Every year in New Haven, there are over 100,000 9 – 1‑1 calls. The New Haven Police Department dispatches an array of units depending on the nature of the call. The Special Victims Unit handles cases involving domestic violence or minors, the SWAT team deals with potentially violent situations, and the bomb squad handles suspected explosives and hazardous material.
However, when a resident calls 911 feeling suicidal, or because a family member is experiencing psychosis, we have no specialized unit; we dispatch the police.
