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Advocating for children pushes Moloney’s buttons

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

Shannon Maloney, a volunteer with CASA displays a button created as a fundraiser for the organization. Shannon thought of the idea of using a CASA child's artwork as the basis of the button.

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Shannon M. Maloney

JANESVILLE — The child Shannon Moloney was helping as a Court Appointed Special Advocate suffered a tragedy last summer.

It inspired her to give the child extra Christmas presents.

But Moloney didn’t stop there. She expanded the holiday project—CASA Kids’ Wish List—to include all CASA children and their families. She got support from her church, First Congregational, and from CASA staff and volunteers.

Moloney, 36, Janesville, enlisted the help of her 8-year-old CASA child to create artwork for a button, which was printed locally. Each 3-inch button was sold for $5, and buyers were asked to wear the buttons to raise awareness of CASA.

CASA volunteers act as a liaison between abused or neglected children who are under the care of child protective services and the judge overseeing the child’s case.

Moloney’s goal was to sell 500 buttons and raise $2,500. Fewer buttons were sold, but $2,600 was raised “because people were so generous,” Moloney said.

She also collected four boxes of toys during a drive that featured a live WSJY 107.3 radio broadcast at a local credit union.

The money raised through button sales was used to buy toys for 50 children served by CASA, Moloney said.

“We went crazy and had seven carts full of toys,’’ Moloney said.

The toys were bought at Farm & Fleet at a discounted price, leaving enough money for Aldi gift cards for CASA families and items for the supervised visitation room at Rock County Child Protective Services.

“It was amazing,” Moloney said, “and better than playing Santa.’’

“I just kept thinking of my CASA child, what I wanted to do for him and it just motivated me,’’ Moloney said.

Moloney, who is area director of Dungarvin in Madison, already is making plans to organize another holiday benefit for CASA children next year.

That’s because those she worked with this year already have said they would support her holiday efforts again next year.

“They believe in what we are doing,’’ Moloney said.

It makes CASA Program Director Wanda Diderich grateful.

“Shannon is a remarkable individual who is extremely genuine and caring,” Diderich said. “When she sees a need, she searches for a viable solution and then passionately makes every effort to ensure that what needs to be done is done to accomplish the outcome desired.”