Brightside Child & Family Advocacy - Savannah CASA

Your Taxes. Your Choice.

What if your Georgia state taxes could directly support young adults aging out of foster care instead of going to the state?

Through Georgia's Fostering Success Tax Credit, you can redirect your state income taxes to Brightside Child & Family Advocacy and help provide youth with critical resources, meaningful connections, and a stronger foundation for adulthood.

The best part? Your contribution qualifies for a 100% Georgia state income tax credit—meaning your tax dollars can make a lasting impact in the lives of local youth.

Make your taxes work for the future of foster youth.

✨ Staff Spotlight: Susan Ryncavage ✨

Meet Susan, one of our incredible Lead Advocacy Coordinators with the CASA team! Susan is passionate about supporting children and families through some of life’s most challenging moments while advocating with compassion, understanding, and care. 💙

Susan strives to be the person she needed as a child, and that heart shines through in every interaction she has with the families we serve. She reminds us that small steps are never truly small in this work—and that every interaction matters. 👏

We had an amazing time at the Savannah Bananas game sharing Brightside’s mission with the community and connecting with so many supporters! ⚡🍌

We were also honored to partner with Bananas Foster as they celebrated young adults aging out of foster care who recently graduated from high school—a milestone worth cheering for. Congratulations to all of the graduates, and thank you to everyone who stopped by to learn more about our work supporting children, youth, and families.

The United Nations has officially declared 2026 as International Volunteer Year, and we could not be more thrilled to have yet another reason to celebrate our incredible volunteers. This recognition identifies volunteerism as a key driver of sustainable development, and here at Brightside, we see its impact every single day.

Today, we would like to extend a special thank you to the volunteers who contribute in countless ways to support our mission and the youth and families we serve.

Our CASA volunteers spend their time with youth in care who are experiencing uncertainty, instability, and the challenges of navigating complex systems. They advocate fiercely, identify unsafe situations, and work tirelessly to promote positive, stable outcomes for the children they serve. To our CASAs who pour so much of themselves into these youth—thank you for being a consistent presence, a trusted voice, and a protective figure in their lives. Without the dedication of our CASAs, many youth would not have the individualized support, advocacy, and encouragement they deserve.

Sue Stephenson and The Abigails have worked tirelessly to create a fully operational clothing closet for children in care. This closet has provided dozens of youth of all ages with clean, unused clothing and a welcoming environment to “shop” in with dignity and comfort. Their compassion and commitment have helped create an experience that reminds youth they are valued, cared for, and worthy of kindness. We are deeply grateful for Sue and her team’s passion and dedication to this effort.

To all of our volunteers who assist with events, office organization, donation management, and day-to-day support, thank you for helping us create a welcoming and efficient environment for staff, stakeholders, and the youth who spend time in our office. Because of your willingness to serve, we can distribute resources more quickly, operate more effectively, and create community-centered events that bring people together in support of children and families.

Volunteerism is more than service—it is compassion put into action. To every individual who has given their time, energy, talents, and heart to Brightside: thank you. Your generosity leaves a lasting impact, and our work would not be possible without you.

A glimpse into Kate’s TEDx talk ✨

On May 15, Kate had the opportunity to speak with the community about an important topic close to our mission—how intentional support for youth aging out of foster care can change the trajectory of their lives and help shape stronger futures.

We are always grateful for opportunities like this to share our experiences, elevate the voices of the young people we serve, and highlight the importance of community involvement in creating stability, opportunity, and hope for youth transitioning into adulthood.

We are incredibly proud of Kate for her passion for educating our community and for her unwavering commitment to supporting youth during some of the most pivotal moments of their lives.

Moments like these remind us that awareness leads to action—and action leads to lasting impact.

📸: John Alexander

✨ Staff Spotlight: Sarah Bachi ✨

Meet Sarah, one of our extraordinary Bright House Family Support Specialists! Sarah is passionate about walking alongside children and families during some of life’s toughest moments. 💙 Through building trust, offering guidance, and connecting families to the support they need, she’s helping create safe, stable spaces where children can thrive and families feel empowered to move forward.

It’s the small moments that lead to lasting impact—and that’s what drives her every day. 👏

Brightside in NOLA! 🎺⚡️

Last week, Kate, Claudia, and Mandy joined the Supervised Visitation Network (SVN) at their annual conference in New Orleans. Kate is the Board Chair of SVN and welcomed attendees from across the country as professionals gathered to learn, collaborate, and strengthen services for children and families. Claudia, our Bright House Program Director, also had the opportunity to present alongside Kate, highlighting the importance of supervised visitations in child welfare.

We are proud to continue growing with leaders in the field and bring back new ideas, resources, and best practices to support the families we serve every day.

May is both National Foster Care Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month — and the two are deeply connected.

Children and families involved in foster care are often navigating trauma, grief, instability, and unmet mental health needs. The effects of abuse, neglect, poverty, substance use, and family separation can impact emotional well-being long after a case closes.

But healing is possible.

When children have stable relationships, trauma-informed support, access to mental health services, and caring adults who advocate for them, outcomes improve. When families receive support instead of isolation, reunification and stability become more achievable.

Foster care is not just a child welfare issue. It is also a mental health issue, a community issue, and a call for compassionate support systems.

Every child deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported.

✨ Staff Spotlight: Breanna Hardy ✨

Meet Breanna, one of our amazing CASA Advocacy Coordinators. From firsthand experience to powerful advocacy—Breanna’s journey is what fuels her passion every day. 💙 She’s dedicated to shining a light on overlooked issues, standing up for families, and reminding them they’re never alone.

Her heart for advocacy shines through in everything she does. We’re so grateful to have her making a difference every day.