March 2015
Can you believe we’re already going into the 3rd month of the year? There
are many activities, events and training opportunities coming up in the next
few months. I would like to encourage you to participate and also take advantage of the training opportunities.
Key Dates
Thank you all for helping our children through the most
difficult time in their young lives as they navigate through
the court system. Please keep up the great work. You
are appreciated very much!
March is Social Worker Appreciation Month. Please remember to express
your thanks to our social workers for the ever challenging job they do for
children and families to “put their lives back together.”
 March 3
New Volunteer
Training Begins
 April 17
Volunteer Appreciation
Dinner
 April 24
3rd Annual Walk Against
Child Abuse
Libby Johnston
Volunteer Spotlight
My name is Muffy Gonzalez. I
was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but have called Carlsbad
“home” since 1989. Prior to
1989, I lived in many places. My
dad was in the Air Force, so we
moved every 3-4 years! I met my
husband, Joey, while he was stationed in Germany when I went
back to live with my parents. We
will celebrate our 25th wedding
anniversary this year. Joey retired from the Carlsbad Police
Department after more than 21
years of service and now is an
instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
(FLETC) in Artesia.
We were blessed with two
sons. Our son Josh is 23 years
old and a graduate of NM State
University. He has applied to
graduate school and hopes to become a physical therapist. Nick is
our youngest and just turned 21
in November. He is in his third
year of college at NM State
University and according to
his brother, is a true
“computer geek!” He will
graduate with a bachelor’s
degree in information systems next year. They’ve
made us so proud over the
years! It is just so hard to believe
how fast they grew up.
I’ve worked at Dunagan Associates since 1996. The people I
get to work with are truly like
family! I started my career as a
real estate agent and then got my
insurance license in 1999. Today
I hold both a real estate license
and insurance agent license. Three years ago I was offered the opportunity to buy into
the company and now I am part
owner.
In 2007, my boys were well
into their teenage years and didn’t
need me as much. I had heard
Nick, Joey, Me and Josh
about CASA a few years before
that and thought that would be
something that I would like to do
- if I ever had the time. I was so
blessed to have the upbringing
that I did and felt so blessed to
have two sons that were respectful, good students and attended
church with us. I wanted to help
kids that didn’t have the upbringing to know that they were special and they could be someone….and most of all, what has
happened in their life was not
their fault or something that they
caused. AND that they are
loved. I love each and every child
that I get to advocate for!
March 2015
Welcome to the Board
Jim Grantner recently joined the Eddy County CASA Board of
Directors. He was administered the oath of office by Judge Jane
Shuler Gray as part of the swearing in ceremony. Other Board
Members are Cherie Widmayer, Dora Carrasco, Dan Thompson,
Curtis Economides and Ted Bartock. Officers are: Leslie Rostro,
President, Shara Browning, Vice President, Vance Jenkins,
Treasurer, and Susan Forrest, Secretary.
March is Social Worker Appreciation Month. This is a love
letter about social work, written by a social worker.
Dear Social Work,
I cannot say it was love at first sight for me,
though you undeniably found your way into my
heart. Ours is a romance of 25 years … & like
relationships of any length, it’s certainly complicated. ...You have become a comfortable life
companion, though occasionally you challenge me
beyond reason.
When we first met, I wasn’t sure you were
my type… I mean, face it – you didn’t have the
best reputation – the whole taking away kids
thing… the bleeding heart bit…the salary...but
once I started taking you seriously, my thinking
changed forever...
Because of you, I bear witness to people’s
pain on a daily basis.
Because of you, I take the visions and hopes
of people seriously.
Because of you, I have the knowledge, skills,
and abilities to truly impact lives.
We’ve taken some incredible journeys...
stood in the shoes of abused children – and the
parents who’ve lost custody (often abused children once themselves).
We’ve visited high
crime neighborhoods
where we were welcomed
into homes where we
were afraid to sit down.
Social work – you and I have held the hand of a
hospital patient, dying alone with no family or friends
in sight. We’ve walked along side people who were
newly diagnosed with terminal illnesses and born witness to their grief.
We’ve written so many soap notes – well, there
isn’t enough water on the East Coast to wash away all
the suds.
Although we’ve seen unimaginable suffering, together we’ve also learned to NEVER underestimate
the power within any individual – you and I have seen
first-hand that people have strengths and resources I
couldn’t possibly have imagined. Thank you for a career rich in meaning, and filled with challenges and
possibilities.
Happy Month!
With love from your life partner,
We Appreciate Our February Supporters:
United Way of Carlsbad & South Eddy County
North Eddy County United Way
Susan Mankita, LCSW