Kappa Alpha Theta will host its annual event, CASA Couture, today from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The sorority will present vendors who sell crafts and merchandise for Greek organizations. The event will be held in Kappa Alpha Theta’s chapter room in the Stacy Riddle Forum and is open to the public. All proceeds will go to CASA for Children, Theta’s national philanthropy partner.
CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, is a nonprofit where, “volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social system,” according to CASAforchildren.org.
Edina, Minn., junior Sirina Thompson is Kappa Alpha Theta’s philanthropy chair. Thompson emphasized the value of a CASA worker’s involvement in the child’s legal process.
“Most people say that it’s the case worker’s job, but it’s not,” Thompson said. “Because case workers often get switched from case to case, but CASAs are assigned to one specific child, they visit and get to know the kid to make the process easier.”
Because some children experience an instability while in the foster care system, CASA volunteers offer children a hope for a secure home because of the relationship formed and the volunteer’s continuous presence throughout the legal process.
“Kids who have CASAs are more likely to be placed in permanent care and not back in foster care,” Thompson said.
Brock junior Shailee Williams, Kappa Alpha Theta’s president, commented on the uniqueness of the philanthropy because of the awareness it brings to an underrepresented cause.
“Its an important pairing because it’s something people don’t really know about, so having them represented through a national sorority really spreads the word and informs people about how to be a CASA,” Williams said. “It is raising awareness to have representatives for the kids who go through the court system.”
CASA Couture is Kappa Alpha Theta’s fundraising event for the semester. The sorority’s goal is to encourage those who are a part of Greek life to attend and purchase merchandise they will not find elsewhere in Waco.
To find more information visit Kappa Alpha Theta’s CASA website at or the national CASA website.
