Home Sweet Home: CASA preparing to make move to new permanent building
May 10—CASA for Hunt County will soon have a permanent home of its own.
The nonprofit, announced late last week that it has purchased a 3,600-square-foot building just west of the downtown courthouse. The new home for CASA is 58% larger than the current office located at the corner of Stonewall and Lee streets.
"We are excited to be able to acquire this much-needed space for the growth of our nonprofit organization, and to be in a building we will own," said Lori Cope, CASA for Hunt County executive director. "This larger office space will support our increase in recruitment, training and guidance of CASA volunteers who are court-appointed to advocate for our county's children who are placed into foster care due to abuse."
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) is a nationwide nonprofit organization. In Texas, there are 74 CASA programs. CASA for Hunt County was established in 2002 and began advocacy work for children within donated space in the Lane Real Estate Agency and Stovall and Associates Surveying offices in Greenville. Later, CASA was provided donated office space within the county's courthouse.
In 2016, CASA for Hunt County moved to its current location at 2520 Lee St. but due to growth of the CASA program, a larger office has been a goal of the organization.
CASA's new office building, located at 2701 Washington St., will be undergoing renovation for many months.
"The renovation is a huge but necessary undertaking," Cope said. "The building, built in 1955, has been home to several businesses but has been vacant for many years."
CASA's next step is a strategic fundraising initiative to raise a significant amount of financial and project support.
"The renovation of this building, and growing our CASA program, is critical to our mission fulfillment," said Brantley Burns, CASA for Hunt County board president. "CASA exists to promote and protect the best interests of children who have been abused. We achieve this mission by recruiting, developing and leading highly impactful volunteer advocates, helping these children achieve safe, permanent homes."
The goal is to raise $65,000 — or about 50% — of the expected renovation costs through donated funds, services and materials.
"There are some specific tasks that must be accomplished, such as roof repair, new HVAC system, flooring, paint, office buildouts, and technology system installation, just to name a few," Burns said. "We want this building to be highly functional in service to the CASA volunteers who are the boots-on-the-ground advocacy workers for the children."
Information about the Renovation Project can be found online at casaforhuntcounty.org ; or email questions to casa@casaforhuntcounty.org .
"Everything we have accomplished and will accomplish through the support of past, present, and future donors will benefit the children we are appointed to serve," Cope said. "Having a permanent home for the CASA organization will benefit our organization's work in achieving resolutions for children's permanency at each case closure."
CASA for Hunt County is appointed by the courts to serve 100% of the county's children who, due to abuse, are taken into the care and custody of the state, otherwise known as foster care. CASA volunteers are screened and trained to be advocates for each child's best interests and seek best resolution for case outcomes. Throughout each case, the volunteers are coached and motivated by staff supervisors.
In 2023 CASA volunteers traveled more than 46,000 miles and donated almost 13,000 hours in service to the child or children of their cases. Also, CASA for Hunt County is committed to the continued development of Collaborative Family Engagement, which helps find, maintain and build family connections for the children with the goal of creating a lifetime network for youth. Of the closed cases in 2023, 77% of the children were returned to parent(s) or relatives.
