CASA Volunteer Open House

Dates:

• April 3, 10 am – 6 pm
• May 1, 10 am – 6 pm
• June 5, 10 am – 6 pm

Venue: CASA of Travis County Offices

Venue Address: 7701 N Lamar Blvd, Ste 301, Austin, TX 78752

Details: 

CASA of Travis County speaks up for children who’ve been abused or neglected by empowering our community to volunteer as advocates for them in the court system. When the state steps in to protect a child’s safety, a judge appoints a trained CASA volunteer to make independent and informed recommendations in the child’s best interest.

CASA volunteers come from every walk of life and share a commitment to improving children’s lives, a willingness to learn, and an open mind towards life experiences different from their own. Volunteers complete an interview, background checks and 33 hours of intensive training. After being sworn-in by a judge, volunteers are appointed to a child or family of children and spend an average of 20 hours a month advocating for these children for at least a year.

Join CASA of Travis County at an Open House to learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer. Stop by anytime from 10 am to 6 pm to speak with our staff, pick up more information and get all of your questions answered.

Website: http://www.casatravis.org/volunteer

Mother Falcon Soars to McCallum’s Nest

McCallum guitar receives national honor, benefit concert to support performance Charleston, SC.

The McCallum Chamber Guitar Ensemble, six-time winners of the UT Brownsville National Guitar Ensemble Competition, will open a benefit concert by Austin’s own Mother Falcon, an eclectic band, on Friday, May 18, 2012 at 8pm in the new McCallum Arts Center, 5600 Sunshine Drive.

This benefit concert is the first in the McCallum Arts Center Emerging Artist Series. Proceeds will help send McCallum classical guitar students to this year’s annual Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) International Convention and Competition in Charleston, South Carolina. The McCallum classical guitar students have been selected as a showcase ensemble from an accomplished list of national contestants. According to McCallum guitar teacher Andrew Clark, “Of the three age groups chosen, we are the only public school. We are honored to play at one of the largest and most prestigious international classical guitar festivals in the world.”

In June 2010, the GFA was hosted by the Austin Classical Guitar Society at the Long Center where the McCallum ensemble performed in the world premier of preeminent Austin composer Graham Reynold’s ‘Powerman’. They also premiered Joe William’s ‘Austin Pictures’ at ACL Live Theater in October 2011 at the Long Center. McCallum houses the largest classical guitar program in AISD.

Mother Falcon is the natural choice for the opening of the MAC Emerging Artist Series. This innovative ensemble, which ranges from 10-20 musicians, features 10 McCallum Fine Arts Academy graduates, including Claire Puckett, a graduate of the McCallum Classical Guitar Ensemble. Claire explains, “It is an honor for me to contribute in any way to the betterment of the McCallum Fine Arts Academy, whose Classical Guitar program cultivated a love of music in my heart that will last me the rest of my years. Mother Falcon is living proof of that love, and I am both excited and humbled to be able to share it with you. Congrats on going to the GFA convention!" These home grown, classically trained musicians expand the realms of indie rock and folk. In 2011, the band won the Best “None of the Above” Award at the Austin Music Awards and brought down the house in the last set at that year’s awards show. Alhambra, their new CD, was released in February 2012.

Tickets for the benefit concert will be $20 at www.mactheatre.com and at the door.

Friends of the House presents: House Party 2012

Dress to impress and join us on May 19 at the Lytle Pressley Contemporary art gallery for House Party 2012, a fun and fabulous cocktail party benefiting
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas. 

el john Selector will be spinning the latest sounds to set the mood and guests will enjoy an open bar with complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while perusing an array of unique silent auction items.  LIGHTfaktor and Lytle Pressley Contemporary will also have exhibits on display for private viewing at this exclusive event. 

A limited number of tickets at $65 each will be available, so don’t wait to reserve yours!

100% of the proceeds from House Party 2012 will benefit Austin’s Ronald McDonald House and Family Rooms, making a difference for families when their children are critically ill or injured and receiving treatment in Austin hospitals.

Austin Cool House Tour

June 3, 2012

10 AM - 6 PM

$20/person

http://www.txses.org/solar/content/cool-house-tour-2012

Join the Texas Solar Energy Society and Austin Energy Green Building as we bring you yet another Austin Cool House Tour. The 10 projects on this tour continue the tradition of demonstrating the best in energy efficient design and sustainable building technology in this, our 16th Tour. Learn easy ways to make your home more comfortable and affordable by viewing the homes and talking with home owners, builders, and contractors who will be on hand to describe their projects and answer questions. 

Purchase guidebooks/tickets at TreeHouse in the Westgate Shopping Center and at Zinger Hardware on North Lamar.