COMMITMENT TO SERVICE

Since our founding, Kappa Alpha Theta has aimed to exercise the widest influence for good and to show love to others. Theta’s national philanthropy is Court-Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA for short. Our chapter supports our local Champaign County CASA, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to make direct impacts in our local community. 

A Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) serves as the eyes and ears of a child going through the foster care system to ensure no child slips through the cracks. To learn more about CASA and Theta’s support, visit www.CASAforChildren.org. Watch this powerful video made by national CASA to learn more about their mission. 

Our chapter hosts two annual fundraising events to raise money for Champaign County CASA. Our fall philanthropy event is Theta Hoops, and our spring philanthropy event is Theta Grilled Cheese. Follow those previous links to read more about these two fun and impactful events!

Aside from of our two annual philanthropy events supporting CASA, our chapter commits itself year round to further impact our community. Our service director, Natalie, leads our chapter's service activities. From participating in food drives and school supply drives to supporting other campus organizations and Theta chapters in their CASA fundraising efforts, our members exemplify a commitment to service in our community and beyond. 

Emily serves as our Chief External Affairs Officer. With her passion for fundraising and a unique ability to charismatically bring all of our members together to support Champaign County CASA, she led our chapter in fundraising over $20,000 for Champaign-County CASA for the spring 2020 semester. Jackie, our Fundraising Director, worked alongside Emily to make our spring fundraising a success. 

One of our members, Kayt, has had unique opportunities to foster CASA children with her family. She describes her experiences with fostering CASA children and the Theta and CASA connection: “Fostering has played a huge role in my life. Every single one of my foster siblings comes from a unique home with a unique story. Many of these stories are sad, and yet when they come into our house, they’re able to forget about the sadness and just be a kid. They’re full of joy and laughter, and they truly just want to be loved. When I went away to college, I was heartbroken that I couldn’t be an involved older sister in the lives of the kiddos who came into our home, but that’s where CASA’s mission became so clear to me. A Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) essentially serves as a devoted older sibling/family figure in the lives of these kids. As they navigate lives that are more complex and uncertain than the lives of most adults, their CASA is the one constant. They help them feel heard and loved. So now, while I can’t be directly involved in my foster siblings lives, Theta helps me directly support those who can.” We are so grateful to have a member like Kayt who feels connected to this cause and truly embodies a passion for our sorority's national philanthropy.