River City Six – Cassie Rosenthal
Meet Cassie Rosenthal, foster care recruiter and trainer with CEDARS (cedarskids.org), a foster care agency serving youth and families statewide.
Tell us a little about your organization.
CEDARS was founded in Lincoln, NE in 1947 when the community came together around one loving couple with a passion for providing safe refuge to children who had no other safe place to spend the night. Today we’re a dynamic team of 200 professionals helping kids in crisis and building strong families. Recently we’ve brought our offerings and expertise in foster care to the Bellevue area.
How did you begin your career at CEDARS?
After college, I worked at a child center for kids with behavioral struggles who were kicked out of other daycares or schools. While I loved that, I had a hard time knowing that that company was not able to provide support to these families after they left, so I applied to work at CEDARS. I love that our foster homes have one Family Resource Partner who works with the foster parents and the youth, that the homes are wrapped in supports, and that someone at CEDARS is just a phone call away 24/7.
What has been your most important achievement professionally?
When one of the foster kids I am supporting gets an A in school, joins a club, volunteers, has a good day, is reunified with their parent, or is adopted into their forever family are all major successes for me. I enjoy planting seeds of hope and opening opportunities for children to find safety and stability in a caring foster home.
Tell us a little about your family.
I grew up in Omaha with one older sister and a couple dogs on an acreage. I now have one dog of my own and will be getting married in June!
What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life?
When I graduated high school, I wanted to be an interior designer. During my freshman year of college, I first heard of the prevalence of human trafficking in Nebraska, and my heart broke for those children. I decided to change my major and dedicate my life to social work with the hope of making a difference in the life of one child.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?
On my days off, I enjoy putting together a puzzle. I love the idea that you can have 1,000 pieces that look like a mess at first, but when you take time to put them together, they create a beautiful picture!
What are you the most proud of?
The opportunity to have CEDARS Foster Care in Bellevue and to play a part in that expansion! I moved back to Omaha last year and I have loved being able to come back to my hometown to create new connections, open doors, and share with the community my passion for CEDARS and our growing need for foster homes in the area!
If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be?
Empathetic.
What is your favorite TV show?
I love watching Survivor and have seen all 36 seasons! Growing up, we always watched as a family. I have even gotten my fiancé and his family into it and they have gone back and watched all the old seasons!
What is your favorite local restaurant?
Thai Spice! I love learning about different cultures and experiencing new things!
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so?
Phone: (402) 802-8646; Email: crosenthal@cedars-kids.org; Website: cedarskids.org.