Abigail Caress Communications

02/24/2026

CASA’s work in Madison County is so important! I’m happy when I get to share about what we do, and what volunteering as a CASA advocate can do for the life of a child facing abuse & neglect. We can help transform their stories!

01/11/2026

Sometimes you just have to write their story! When I learned about this vision for a coffee shop in Middletown, IN, I got excited enough to submit a news piece. UPDATE➡️: the Kickstarter campaign got FULLY FUNDED!!! Small town coffee shop dream, here we come!!!

UPDATE 1/10: it’s over halfway to the goal!!! Middletown community, you rock!!!

Did you see this exciting update from Grace & Co Coffee in The Middletown News today? They getting are so close to meeting the goal so they can open—and you can help make it happen with a little support THIS WEEK at their Kickstarter campaign before it ends on Jan. 13th!

From the article:

“New Coffee Shop Owner aims for Spring Opening with Crowdfunding Goal”

A daily brick-and-mortar coffee shop is high on the Middletown community’s wish list, according to Middletown Main Street’s officers who collected community survey data in 2024. And the organization’s officers are excited to share that Middletown is very close to a new shop opening at 108 S. 5th St.

Sarah Russell, 26, the owner of Grace & Co. Coffee, LLC, has loved coffee and good company since her church opened a coffee shop over a decade ago. When she was learning how to make drinks, she also found her calling. “I just love serving people. Serving people is my love language!”

After Russell launched her mobile coffee shop vision in 2024 to take her drinks on the road at community events and hot spots, she also learned about the sudden opportunity to create a brick-and-mortar coffee shop in Middletown, Indiana. She immediately fell in love with the historic space on 5th Street and her growing vision of a cozy, adorable small town coffee shop in her local community.

This spring and summer, Russell quickly learned that running a mobile coffee shop and opening a brick-and-mortar shop at the same time during an economic downturn is a true challenge. She encountered increased costs that have created a critical shortfall impacting her essential equipment budget at a time when small business loans come with high interest rates.

“It was frustrating,” Russell admits. But she was not ready to admit defeat.

Russell sought an alternative funding source now trendingamong GenZ entrepreneurs: online crowdfunding on Kickstarter.com.

“I started this Kickstarter campaign because I was encouraged to do so by some successful business owners who don’t want to see me take on tons of debt right at the start,” explains Russell. “If we can meet the goal on this campaign, I can open the doors of my shop with the basic equipment, and do it much sooner, with the shop set up to really succeed.”

Grace & Co. Coffee’s Kickstarter campaign is currently 35% funded with over $4,000 in pledges from supporters. Some levels of support offer rewards to contributors, such as free drinks. However, the Kickstarter platform’s policy on fund collection is “all-or-nothing”: the funds pledged by supporters will only be charged to their credit cards if Russell’s goal is met by the campaign’s ending date of January 13, 2026.

“I am aware that using Kickstarter, we’ll either get fully funded or we’ll get nothing. We are hoping our loving and supportive community can help us reach the goal so we can start this storefront off a little smoother,” says Russell. “We are ready to serve Middletown and become a welcoming space for everyone.”

To contribute to the coffee shop campaign, visit Kickstarter.com and enter “Grace and Co Coffee Middletown” using its search feature, or use the QR code (pictured) from a mobile device camera or QR reader, or visit:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/graceandcocoffee/grace-and-co-coffee-a-new-home-in-middletown

01/11/2026

Did you know as a communicator, I also love to share what I’ve studied as a ? I’m excited to be a guest speaker for a special 9:15am Sunday School class on “Time Travel to the Ancient Supernatural World of the Bible” next Sunday, January 18, 2026 at South Meridian Church of God in Anderson, IN!

12/23/2025

Our CASA crew is so darn cute!!!

Today, we’re pressing pause on the asks.

No fundraising links. No calls to action. Just gratitude.

Thank you to the incredible CASA volunteers who show up, listen deeply, and stand beside children when they need it most. Your commitment, compassion, and consistency change lives in ways that don’t always make headlines — but matter more than you know.

Thank you to every donor who believes in this mission and helps make our work possible. Your generosity allows us to recruit, train, and support advocates who ensure children are seen and heard.

Thank you to our community partners, event supporters, and friends who attend, share, encourage, and cheer us on. Your support reminds us that this work is never done alone.

Thank you to everyone who helps spread the word — every share, conversation, and moment of awareness brings us one step closer to a stronger voice for children.

And thank you to our staff and our Board of Directors for your unwavering dedication, leadership, and behind-the-scenes work that keeps our mission moving forward every single day.

Merry Christmas. 🎄

12/02/2025

Thanks, Noon Exchange Club of Anderson, Indiana!!!! 💕 Our CASA team really appreciates all the efforts that went into the Jack Lutz Memorial Champions for CASA Golf Benefit that generated these funds. ⛳️

11/11/2025

Did you know my side passion is writing ? This lovely Christmas anthology does not disappoint! And yes, my latest story is in there, under the pen name Gailie Ruth Caress - Author.
✍🏽

🎀Now available! 🎀 Happy Christmas Mr Darcy is an anthology of 8 short, holiday themed Pride & Prejudice Variations.
https://geni.us/HappyChristmasMrDarcy
Available in ebook, paperback and in kindle unlimited.

🔔A Charitable Affair by Julie Cooper
🎀A King’s Night by Ali Scott
🎄A Winter Romance by Lucy Marin
❄️Comfort and Joy by Jan Ashton
☃Frost Fair by LM Romano
🎅🏻No More than the Truth by Amy D’Orazio
🤶🏻The Gift of Good Character by Gailie Ruth Caress
⛄What Child is This by Frances Reynolds

11/01/2025

It’s release day for the anthology featuring my work alongside seven other talented authors’! If you love Pride & Prejudice, this holiday story collection is worth reading!!!

Happy Christmas Mr Darcy is NOW AVAILABLE! 🎄🔔🎀
https://geni.us/HappyChristmasMrDarcy
EIGHT holiday themed short stories (10,000-15,000 words) in one book. Available in Kindle Unlimited as well!

09/25/2025

Oh. This is where the burnout comes from! Take care of yourselves, friends!

09/22/2025

This article is SO helpful as you’re updating or rebuilding your nonprofit or missional website. Want search engines to find you? The research is pointing the way (back) to…blogs…as the best discovery source! Today’s internet search engines are built to enable AI seeking out helpful content and conversations, not just stacking SEO search terms. (And posting frequently doesn’t matter quite as much as it used to (phew)! Accuracy with citations matters more.)

https://createdincolor.com/from-keywords-to-conversations-how-traditional-search-is-changing

Summary Traditional SEO helped content get discovered through keywords, backlinks, and metadata. But today, AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are changing how information is found and trusted. This article explains how AI discovery works, why SEO alone isn’t enough anymore, and how to structure...

09/13/2025

Dangerous times at the Jack Lutz Memorial Champions for CASA Golf Benefit! They’re letting me drive. 😂 ⛳️ Central Indiana CASA, Inc.

08/26/2025

Hey! That’s my write-up in the paper. And I’m truly excited for what’s coming next for Middletown, Indiana!

Did you see the newspaper? The news is, there’s a Downtown Revitalization Plan for Middletown that you can come see TOMORROW (Wednesday, 8/27) at 6:00pm at the Civic Center next to Three Dog Saloon. Don’t miss your chance to see the presentation & give feedback!

08/23/2025

Come by the Gaslight Festival on Historic West 8th Street today and say hello to me at our East Central Indiana CASA, Inc. booth by the Anderson Noon Exchange Club booth and the car show! It’s a gorgeous day and the festival is full of food, entertainment, vendors, and fun for all ages.