Posts by Ashley Thornton
What does an accurate census count get for you?
By Christina Chan-Park When the founders of the United States established the decennial census in Article 1 Section 2 of the Constitution, they wanted to use the “enumeration” to give the people rights and privileges. Historically, censuses were used for conscription or taxation purposes (remember the bible story of Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem…
Read MoreThe Business of Health: New Technology Developments that may affect the future of care
By Glenn Robinson Healthcare is changing rapidly with the constant development of new technology. While these developments allow us to better diagnose and treat patients, connect with the community, and promote wellness, it is important to remember that nothing can replace the trust and communication between a patient and their doctor when it comes to…
Read MoreVoices for our Community’s Children: CASA Advocacy As a Working Professional
(This post is part of a series of posts about CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocates. – ABT) By Jennifer Whitlark Welcome to our 4th and final blog post in our CASA series. Today, we have some Q&A with advocate Jennifer Whitlark, a working professional who makes time to contribute to her community even amidst…
Read MoreCollaboration Chain: Continuing Education and Community Collaboration
By Kristi Pereira I love collaborating. I love being in a room of colleagues and fellow community members, discussing projects and plans, and exploring ways in which we can work together to achieve a common goal. And I especially love this if that common goal is something that has the potential to create an improved…
Read MoreWhat’s in a name?
“’Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself though, not a Montague…. What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet….” Juliet was saying that a family name, or a group identity, is less important than the qualities of an individual. However, in…
Read MoreVoices for our Community’s Children: CASA Advocacy As A Retired Community Member
By Mike Mellina (This post is part of a series of posts about CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocates. – ABT) Welcome to the third post in our CASA blog series, which provides a close up look at our advocacy from a CASA volunteer’s perspective. Today, we have the pleasure of hearing from a tenured…
Read MoreBecoming Deaf
by Teresa Porter I was born with the ability to hear. I moved around a lot and landed in Waco around 2002. In the fall of 2003, I met my first Deaf person after he moved into the apartment above mine. One morning, he was trying to start his car, and it just wouldn’t start.…
Read MoreVoices for our Community’s Children: Guidance & Support for CASA Volunteers
(This post is part of a series of posts about CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocates. – ABT) By Chelsea Oliver, LMSW When members of our community commit to volunteer with CASA of McLennan County as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, they are matched with a full time CASA staff member, their CASA Supervisor. Our…
Read MoreJune 13th Teen Suicide Prevention Symposium – Prevention over Postvention: Keeping our kids safe from Suicide
By Jeni Janek “Counselors were on campus today in response to….” We’ve heard it a hundred times in the media and cringe at the stories that follow these words, reporting the loss of yet another youth to the tragic phenomenon of suicide. What most do not realize is the impact and response that ensues and…
Read MoreJune 21: The Longest Day
By Maggie Sanders June 21 is the day with the most light, and that’s when the Alzheimer’s Association shines light on this sad disease that robs loved ones of memories and personality. But when you’re caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, every day can seem to last more than 24 hours. My mom,…
Read More