Agency: CASA, A Voice for Children
Support Needed: $20,000
Purpose: Train more volunteers to advocate for vulnerable kids

Last year in Napa County, 166 children, from newborns to 18-year-olds, were made dependents of the court and placed in foster care. This represents a 35-percent increase since 2009 in the number of abused and neglected kids whose parents, in spite of assistance from social service agencies, have not proven able to create a safe environment in the home.

The court's goal: for the judge, lawyers, caseworkers and others to find solutions that would allow the child to eventually be reunified with his or her family. For the child, this process can seem like an endless parade of unfamiliar grown-ups. State and federal governments require the court to appoint an adult to be the voice of the child during the sequence of investigative and legal proceedings. In most California counties, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs), who are specially-trained volunteers, serve in this role.

Napa County's volunteer program is run by a nonprofit called CASA, A Voice for Children. Since 1996, CASA has been screening, recruiting, training and supervising volunteers from our local community that have advocated for more than 1,100 kids. A volunteer not only provides to the child a stable relationship with an adult, but also promotes a child's best interests and wishes regarding health care, therapy and schooling.

The nonprofit's staff recruits volunteers, who are often retired school teachers or nurses, and provides 36 hours of mandatory training, as well as 12 hours of continuing education each year. Some CASAs work five hours per week for three years on behalf of a child.

In 2009, CASA used grants from Community Foundation Donor Advised Funds to add 24 new volunteers, for a total of 64, to keep up with the unprecedented demand. These volunteers contributed approximately 6,800 hours of advocacy on behalf of 141 children; still, 40 kids are on the wait list.

Annual budget for the nonprofit is $285,000; 20 percent of revenues come from California's State Judicial Council to help defray costs to document compliance with national standards, a host of laws, as well as rules of the court. CASA wants to trim the waitlist and help 10 to 15 more kids, which will cost $20,000. The nonprofit spends $1,300 to $2,000 per child to: provide a completely screened and trained volunteer; and, guide volunteers through each case. Your support would help ensure that kids get their needs met while in foster care.

Agency: The St. Helena Community Band
Support Needed: $4,600
Purpose: Various operating expenses for grassroots concert band

"Strike up the band!" That's not the voice of George or Ira Gershwin. Rather, it's the clarion call of The St. Helena Community Band (SHCB), a fledgling nonprofit. SHCB was launched a few years ago by film director Francis Ford Coppola, also an enthusiastic musician, who wanted to continue St. Helena's tradition of community bands, which dates back to the 1920s.

Currently, the grassroots organization boasts 35 band members ages high school and up, who range in skill level from "rusty" to "amateur that plays frequently." In spite of its geographic moniker, SHCB's auditions are open to Napa County residents, as long as they can read and play music.

SHCB partners with St. Helena High School, which gives the band space for its two-hour rehearsals each Sunday. A typical practice session includes a warm-up, followed by playing band chorales to work on tuning and a unified sound. Then, the band plays five to seven pieces of music, practicing in sub-groups as needed; more experienced musicians coach those who are less proficient.

SHCB is a concert band, which means it is comprised mostly of wind instruments, like flutes, clarinets and saxophones, as well as a percussion section. The repertoire: various John Philip Sousa marches; concert band and orchestral pieces, like "Folk Song Suite"; and, Broadway show tunes and Louis Armstrong hits.

SHCB takes its show on the road about 10 times a year, and all concerts are free and open to the public. Regular gigs include culture festivals and holiday parades in Calistoga and St. Helena. This summer, SHCB traveled to play at a band festival in Golden Gate Park.

SHCB, which currently has 11 volunteer Board Members and a music director that works on a contract basis, owns about 10 musical scores. Band members bring their own instruments to rehearsals and performances. For 2010, SHCB anticipates $800 in income, which will cover liability insurance (about $400) and small stipends for guest performers. A private donor covers the music director's fees.

What's needed now: $3,500 for SHCB to purchase 30 new pieces ($100 each), to freshen up the group's supply of sheet music, along with storage folders for each band member; plus, $1,100 for a one-day bus rental, so SHCB can perform a concert outside of Napa County. Support of this program would help community members make music together, and uphold a longstanding up Valley tradition.

Agency: Child Start, Inc.
Support Needed: $14,000
Purpose: Spanish-language classes for preschool staff

It's no secret that kids who've attended preschool do better when they walk through the doors of their kindergarten classroom for the first time: They can recognize the letters of the alphabet; have better physical coordination on the playground; and, can name shapes and colors.

In Napa County, Latino kids are nearly half as likely to enroll in preschool. Since 2000, Child Start, Inc. has been filling the gap for our Valley's Latino families living at Federal Poverty Level, which means a household of four earns no more than $22,050 a year. The nonprofit runs Head Start, kindergarten readiness and child-development programs that work with 280 youngsters, ages infant to five.

The difference between Child Start and private preschools is that parents, many of whom don't speak English or have access to basic health care services, also are the focus. To that end, about half of daily classroom activities include time for families to learn about dental care, nutrition and other important health topics.

The Child Start employees working in the classrooms--everyone from lead teachers to nutrition staff--are the anchor for parents to ensure their kids are ready for school. While many staff have rudimentary Spanish-language skills, only 35 percent are fluent. This makes it difficult for some parents to build trusting relationships with teachers.

Child Start has an annual operating budget of around $12 million; at least 93 percent of revenues come from government contracts, which stipulate that staff must have some post-secondary training in early-childhood education. Pay scales range from about $10 to $20 per hour, depending on schooling. Since the government contracts do not cover professional development expenses, Child Start has started its own continuing education program.

This year, the focus is on conversational Spanish. Napa Valley Adult School will offer language classes on the Child Start campus, to accommodate staff's teaching schedules and engender a learning community among employees. Sessions will concentrate on building vocabulary and conversational skills specifically related to Head Start's academic and wellness curriculum. The sticker price: $14,000 for five six-week sessions, with each targeted to 20 staff. Your support will give preschool instructors a head start in the classroom.