Merry Christmas to you all. Have a happy and safe holiday season.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Hatke named Journal Review Shining Star
This is a well deserved award! We are proud of Terresa and all that she does!
Being involved is just a way of life for Terresa Hatke. She never thinks a second about it and doesn’t know the meaning of the word “no.”
“My husband said I need to learn the word ‘no’,” Hatke said. “So far that is just not part of my vocabulary.”
For those who have been affected by Hatke’s good works, they are glad she hasn’t said no.
For her willingness to step up and spend countless hours serving others she is one of six recipients of the Journal Review Shining Star award. The awards is presented to members of the community who serve behind the scenes and do more than their part to make our community a better place to live.
Hatke was nominated by Aletha Rush.
“I first met Terresa when she and her husband Ron volunteered to help with the Waynetown Thanksgiving Dinner,” Rush said in her nomination. “What a joy she and Ron are. So giving unselfishly. Very generous in giving of time and if needed financially.”
Hatke gives back to our county by serving with:
• Montgomery County Youth Service Bureau
• CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate)
• North Montgomery School Board
• Team leader of the Bernie’s Buffet Community Dinner (St. Bernard’s)
• Montgomery County Sheep Association
• Water aerobics instructor
“I just think it is our responsibility to give back,” Hatke said. “God has blessed me and my family and it’s just the thing to do to try to pay it forward,” she said.
Hatke said she has tried to live by a quote from her mother.
“Mom always said there are those who will and those who don’t,” she said. “I have tried to be one of those who will, or at least try.”
Hatke has been on the North Montgomery School Board for more than 10 years and has enjoyed it. At times there has been frustration, no more so than now as state officials continue to cut education programs and institute more and more guidelines.
“I really think they need to walk in the shoes of our teachers for 30 days or so,” Hatke said. “Our teachers, administrators and kids are doing great things and performing quite well. We should all be proud of the jobs they do and are doing under the current situation. I really think if those people making these rules and guidelines and those making all the cuts were forced to spend a month in the classroom they would see how unfair they are being.”
Still, Hatke is willing to do her part to help make it through the tough times.
“We are talking about our kids, they are our future,” Hatke said. “We have to do what ever we can to help them out. If we don’t set them on the right path now then we have failed in doing our job. It’s a big job, but it is one that we all have a hand in, whether it is as a parents, a teacher, an administrator or and a community member.”
Hatke’s love of children led her to become involved with the Youth Service Bureau and CASA. Monday night was actually her final night on the YSB board, but even though her six years with the board is over she is staying on as a consultant for the fundraising arm of the organization. She has been involved with CASA for five years.
“It’s so important that we try to head these young people down the right paths,” she said. “This program can really make a difference to someone. We all make mistakes and maybe with a little guidance we can help shift the direction of some young people’s lives. You never really know if you are doing good at the time. Sometimes it takes years to see the results.”
Hatke said she has received letters and cards from people she has dealt with through the CASA program years later.
“It just melts your heart when you hear back from someone who is now doing really well,” Hatke said. “At the time you might not think you have made much of a difference, but then out of the blue you find out maybe you did just enough to help one person. Even if that is the only person you helped it was worth it. You just hope that maybe that person will now step up and volunteer to be a mentor or coach a team or get involved somehow. All we can do is plant seeds.”
There is no doubt that Hatke’s seed has produced many times over.
Hatke named Journal Review Shining Star
Barry Lewis blewis@jrpress.com | Posted: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 1:15 am
“My husband said I need to learn the word ‘no’,” Hatke said. “So far that is just not part of my vocabulary.”
For those who have been affected by Hatke’s good works, they are glad she hasn’t said no.
For her willingness to step up and spend countless hours serving others she is one of six recipients of the Journal Review Shining Star award. The awards is presented to members of the community who serve behind the scenes and do more than their part to make our community a better place to live.
Hatke was nominated by Aletha Rush.
“I first met Terresa when she and her husband Ron volunteered to help with the Waynetown Thanksgiving Dinner,” Rush said in her nomination. “What a joy she and Ron are. So giving unselfishly. Very generous in giving of time and if needed financially.”
Hatke gives back to our county by serving with:
• Montgomery County Youth Service Bureau
• CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate)
• North Montgomery School Board
• Team leader of the Bernie’s Buffet Community Dinner (St. Bernard’s)
• Montgomery County Sheep Association
• Water aerobics instructor
“I just think it is our responsibility to give back,” Hatke said. “God has blessed me and my family and it’s just the thing to do to try to pay it forward,” she said.
Hatke said she has tried to live by a quote from her mother.
“Mom always said there are those who will and those who don’t,” she said. “I have tried to be one of those who will, or at least try.”
Hatke has been on the North Montgomery School Board for more than 10 years and has enjoyed it. At times there has been frustration, no more so than now as state officials continue to cut education programs and institute more and more guidelines.
“I really think they need to walk in the shoes of our teachers for 30 days or so,” Hatke said. “Our teachers, administrators and kids are doing great things and performing quite well. We should all be proud of the jobs they do and are doing under the current situation. I really think if those people making these rules and guidelines and those making all the cuts were forced to spend a month in the classroom they would see how unfair they are being.”
Still, Hatke is willing to do her part to help make it through the tough times.
“We are talking about our kids, they are our future,” Hatke said. “We have to do what ever we can to help them out. If we don’t set them on the right path now then we have failed in doing our job. It’s a big job, but it is one that we all have a hand in, whether it is as a parents, a teacher, an administrator or and a community member.”
Hatke’s love of children led her to become involved with the Youth Service Bureau and CASA. Monday night was actually her final night on the YSB board, but even though her six years with the board is over she is staying on as a consultant for the fundraising arm of the organization. She has been involved with CASA for five years.
“It’s so important that we try to head these young people down the right paths,” she said. “This program can really make a difference to someone. We all make mistakes and maybe with a little guidance we can help shift the direction of some young people’s lives. You never really know if you are doing good at the time. Sometimes it takes years to see the results.”
Hatke said she has received letters and cards from people she has dealt with through the CASA program years later.
“It just melts your heart when you hear back from someone who is now doing really well,” Hatke said. “At the time you might not think you have made much of a difference, but then out of the blue you find out maybe you did just enough to help one person. Even if that is the only person you helped it was worth it. You just hope that maybe that person will now step up and volunteer to be a mentor or coach a team or get involved somehow. All we can do is plant seeds.”
There is no doubt that Hatke’s seed has produced many times over.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Meeting December 12th
Montgomery County CASAs: Monday, December 12th @ 6:00 will be our monthly meeting. The meeting will be in our usual spot at St. John Episcopal Church. Come join us for some good eats, fellowship, and a wee bit of training! There will be chili, cheesy potato soup, taco soup, french bread and some delightful sugary goodies.
We will have speakers from Rock Point Church. They will tell us about the new programs, Celebrate Recovery and The Landing. As we all know, drugs and alcohol are involved in nearly all of our CASA children's lives. It should be interesting learning about these two new programs and how they might help.
Looking forward to seeing you all !!!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Psychotropic Drugs on Foster Care Children ABC 20/20
If you missed 20/20 Friday night, there is a clip below.
You can watch the entire episode on Hulu by clicking on this link 20/20
You can watch the entire episode on Hulu by clicking on this link 20/20
Thursday, December 1, 2011
20/20 Program Focuses on Psychotropic Medication Use Among Foster Youth
Post from National CASA
20/20 Program Focuses on Psychotropic Medication Use Among Foster Youth
This Friday, the ABC news program 20/20 will highlight the use of psychotropic medication on youth in foster care. National CASA has been closely involved in the development of this show and in educating the staff about the issue. While we have not seen the final version of the episode, the producers have interviewed CEO Michael Piraino. The episode airs Friday, December 2, on ABC at 10 p.m. ET. Check your local listings for the air time in your area.National CASA has several resources on our website addressing the use of psychotropic medications on youth, including a tip sheet for advocates written by staff members of the King County (WA) Dependency CASA Program. Find this and other resources in the “Health” section of our Volunteer Resource Library.
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