To kick off this year’s annual year-end campaign, Christmas Décor of Southern NH owner Dan Bernard proposed a unique incentive to donate: Everyone who contributed at least $100 before November 30 was eligible to enter a drawing to have his company design and install holiday lighting and decorations at their home. Additionally, they also generously matched every donation of $100 to CASA with a $10 donation, with a maximum match of $2,500.

Donor Doreen Boissonneault, who has supported CASA of NH since 2011, was the lucky winner! Doreen told us that while she’s not in a place to be an advocate, she’s glad to help by donating every year.

Christmas Décor of Southern NH owners Dan and Kristine Bernard are longtime supporters of CASA of NH. Dan, a former CASA of NH board chairman, says, “After serving on the Board of CASA for nine years, I’ve seen firsthand the difference the organization makes in the lives of New Hampshire’s children. Given their importance in deriving positive outcomes for our most ‘at-risk’ population, I can’t think of a worthier cause to support than CASA.” Dan and Kris are also owners of Mosquito Joe, providing mosquito control to the southern New Hampshire area.

We’re thrilled to report this year’s campaign was incredibly successful, thanks to dedicated supporters as well as 65 new donors, an increase of 38 new donors over last year.

Thanks to their generous support, this year’s Giving Tuesday campaign was the biggest ever for CASA. Over $16,000 was raised in 24 hours from 74 donors, including 11 new donors and 14 advocates.

Steve Brophy and his wife, Janeece, are longtime supporters of CASA of New Hampshire. Steve and Janeece first learned about CASA when a neighbor introduced them to Marty Sink, CASA’s president and CEO. After attending an event and hearing from two judges who spoke highly of CASA advocates and the reports they prepare for the courts, Steve and Janeece decided to become donors. Having children themselves, they felt compelled to help CASA grow.

As the Senior Wealth Manager at Brophy Wealth Management, LLC, Steve discovered that one of his clients was also a CASA volunteer, which soon led to the company supporting CASA on a corporate level. As a company that values giving back to the community, they  have been a proud sponsor of CASA Cares for several years, and feature CASA of New Hampshire as a charity of choice on their website. They also generously support other causes that focus on children and families, such as Friends of Aine, Families in Transition, and Toys for Tots.

Steve is passionate about CASA’s mission and praises the character of those involved in the organization. He has seen firsthand the commitment and care demonstrated by both staff and volunteers. “When you get close to the organization, you can see that these things shine,” he says.

CASA of New Hampshire is incredibly grateful for the Brophy family’s unwavering dedication to raising awareness about our cause, and for their generous donations that support our advocates and their vital work.

Ten years ago, Tom Buchanan was introduced to CASA through a board member from the organization. The rest, as they say, is history. Tom recently retired as a long-standing member of the board himself, and during his tenure, he was successful in recruiting several new advocates and cultivating donors far and wide.

His first meeting with Marty Sink, CASA’s President and CEO, and the board member, helped him to better understand the mission, including the impact that advocates can have on a child’s life. “I was blown away by the mission,” says Tom. He came to understand that advocates work solely on behalf of the child, adding “they rescue these kids from hard situations; they turn around a child for a lifetime.”

Prior to his introduction to CASA, Tom had not been aware that CASA is the only organization in the state that does this kind of advocacy work on behalf of children in the court system. “I didn’t understand that if CASA didn’t do this, who would do it?”

Tom was hooked after his first meeting, and stayed on the CASA board for a full three terms. As a new board member, Tom was asked to attend a court hearing, so he spent an afternoon at the Derry Court observing a case. He noted that the judge complimented the CASA advocate for their dedication to the case, and that the parent’s case worker was also very respectful of the advocate. As Tom says, “volunteers do the hard work. They are the ones who truly get involved in the child’s case.”

Throughout his years on the board, and as a donor with his wife, Joan, Tom never questioned the workings of the organization. As he says, “there is no mission creep. I greatly respect that over 80% of their income is earmarked for direct services. CASA stays in its lane and is consistent in all their endeavors.”

As CEO of Derry Medical Center, Tom has secured an ongoing business sponsorship of CASA’s largest fundraising event, CASA Cares. Derry Medical Center is a supporter of other organizations as well, and since 2006, has donated $136,000 in medical scholarships to deserving local students.

Tom has been, and continues to be, a wonderful gift to CASA. In his own words, “if you can turn around the life of a child, you have created a lifetime benefit.”

Every day, CASA’s volunteer advocates are deeply committed to ensuring that victimized children are receiving the emotional and physical resources they need to thrive. We are grateful that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield recognizes CASA’s critical role in the health and wellbeing of children and has been a partner in this mission for nearly 20 years.

Through Anthem’s long history of supporting CASA, they have provided significant financial and volunteer backing. They have generously donated nearly $75,000 in sponsorship funding, subsequently impacting the lives of hundreds of children. Anthem associates have also served and continue to serve as CASA volunteer advocates and members of CASA’s board of directors, dedicating their time, talent and treasure as leaders of the organization.

Lisa Guertin, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire, notes that Anthem has been a strong proponent of CASA’s vision for nearly 20 years because of CASA’s critical need in the community.

“The state’s opioid crisis is having a deep impact on the next generation, and we need to ensure New Hampshire kids have a fighting chance for a stable, loving home life so they can grow up to be healthy, happy adults. This is what it’s all about for us at Anthem: making a difference in the lives of the people in the communities we serve. And CASA’s work is doing just that.”

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is profoundly dedicated to giving back to the community.

“We believe that giving back is not only a privilege, it’s a responsibility,” says Stephanie DuBois, Director of Public Relations. “We take pride in giving back to our communities and make it a cornerstone of our business practices.”

CASA’s board of directors has welcomed several Anthem representatives in recent years, including Maria Proulx (Regional Vice President of Sales), Denise McDonough (now President of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine), and currently Michael Burns, New Hampshire sales account executive, who is tremendously dedicated to the organization’s mission.

“As the father of six children and a recent foster parent, serving on CASA’s Board of Directors affords me the opportunity to stand up for a child who has no voice, who did not ask to be abused and who deserves the right to be loved and protected,” Michael says. “I’m proud to support CASA’s mission and give back to my community.”

And it’s not just CASA. In 2019 alone, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire and its philanthropic arm, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, invested more than $1.4 million in New Hampshire in efforts to improve overall health by addressing critical issues facing Granite Staters, such as food insecurity and the impacts of the opioid abuse crisis.

Anthem’s collaborations with local nonprofits also support other health initiatives such as cancer prevention, prenatal care, heart health, physical activity, and addressing social determinants of health. Anthem associates donate hundreds of volunteer hours and thousands of dollars in personal contributions every year to directly assist nonprofits in strengthening the New Hampshire communities where they live and work. Their volunteer and charitable giving programs have included Anthem associates packing 500 bags of nonperishable foods to support Blessings in a Backpack’s mission to provide weekend food for elementary school children, sponsoring The Farnum Center/EasterSeals NH’s “Sprit of Hope” event to raise awareness about substance misuse disorders, and supporting the Manchester Police Athletic League’s Footrace for the Fallen 5K as the presenting sponsor.

Additionally, Anthem’s “Dollars for Doers” program provides employees with financial rewards they can direct to eligible nonprofit organizations in exchange for their volunteer hours. In 2019, Stephanie says, Anthem associates in New Hampshire donated more than 1,300 hours of their time at a value of nearly $34,000. In another initiative, “Dollars for Dollars,” Anthem matches contributions to a number of health-related nonprofits, dollar for dollar, up to an annual maximum match of $5,000. According to Stephanie, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire consistently ranks highest among all Anthem affiliates in the percentage of associates (30 percent) who donate to local charities.

Thank you to Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield for your visionary support of New Hampshire’s children!

Doreen Manetta has been a long-standing volunteer, donor and friend to CASA. As the Regional Manager/SVP of Enterprise Bank, Doreen balances a busy professional career with volunteer positions at CASA and a number of other nonprofit organizations. She currently serves as the chairperson of CASA Cares, CASA’s largest annual fundraising event, which last year raised more than $300,000. Along with an active committee of 10 members, Doreen is in throes of planning the upcoming CASA Cares gala on May 3, which will celebrate CASA’s 30 years of transformative advocacy work.

Doreen attended her first CASA event nearly 10 years ago when CASA’ s major fundraiser had been a luncheon fashion show before becoming CASA Cares in 2016. At that time, Doreen had moved to Manchester from Nashua for her career, and subsequently became actively involved in several nonprofits, including CASA of NH.  She has been a tireless committee volunteer since then, assisting in all areas of event planning including securing sponsorship support and providing a number of introductions to new funders and businesses. Thanks in large part to Doreen’s efforts and her passion for CASA, CASA Cares has continued to grow every year in attendance and proceeds.

Doreen is deeply committed to giving back to the community. She provides her time and talent to several boards, including the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce, Adult Learning Center and the YMCA of Greater Nashua, and feels an intrinsic responsibility to lend her support to various causes and encourages others to do so as well.

“There are so many organizations that need help,” Doreen says. “Everyone needs to pick one organization — it only takes a few hours of time to make a lasting impact on an organization.”

Doreen choose to help CASA of NH because she believes strongly in its mission. It wasn’t until she began volunteering that she really came to understand the scope of CASA’s ability to change lives.

“It is important for us to advocate for children that don’t have a voice and to ensure the safety of future generations of children,” Doreen says.

She credits Enterprise Bank, and its community-focused mission, with being a large supporter of her non-profit work, noting, “It is part of their core value to invest in the community.  Everyone at the bank is encouraged to engage in volunteer work — from the tellers to the managers.”

For example, Enterprise organizes nonprofit collaborative seminars, women’s networking events, and extensive charity drives and walks. Its “Belle of the Ball” initiative organizes cleaning and distribution of gently worn prom dresses to more than 800 girls, and its annual scarf drive provides donated handmade or purchased scarves to United Way shelters. The bank has also sponsored numerous events, including CASA Cares.

Doreen recognizes that not everyone has the time to serve as a volunteer advocate or on a committee, but she says that is OK.

“It is important for people to know that even if they can make a small donation, it could go a long way, especially with the opioid crisis,” Doreen says. “We could help so many more kids. We think nothing of buying a cup of coffee. If we gave that up for a week and donated to a nonprofit, it could make a big difference.”