Casarez Named 2013 Fresno County Mother of the Year
FRESNO – Lisa Casarez, founder of Angels of Grace Foster Family Agency, has lovingly placed hundreds of children in foster care through the years, and because of her work and overall kindness the Fresno County Women’s Chamber of Commerce named her the 2013 Fresno County Mother of the Year.
Family, friends, colleagues and media surprised Casarez this morning at the agency’s Fresno location this morning with the news. A tearful Casarez was quick to thank those she knows, including Child Protective Services and the Fresno Police Department, for partnering with Angels of Grace to go through the process of finding foster children homes. She provides these children, whom have often been abused and neglected, with items like clothing, diapers, formula, and most importantly love.

2008 Mother of the Year Karen Waligorski (right) congratulates 2013 Mother of the Year Lisa Casarez of Angels of Grace Foster Family Agency. Casarez, as well as four nominees, will be recognized at a May 10 luncheon put on by the Fresno County Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
“Whatever we need to take care of their basic needs so that can feel like they’re humans, and then from there we build their spirits, their minds and their bodies,” Casarez said.
Casarez has experienced trials in her own life. As a young mother she suffered from abuse and neglect at the hands of her husband, and previously stayed at the Marjaree Mason Center. She will be honored along with other nominees Karee Moore, May Yen Yang, Terri Mejorado and Patricia Staggs at the “Pearls of Wisdom” luncheon sponsored by the Fresno County Women’s Chamber of Commerce on Friday, May 10 at Tornino’s in Fresno.
“Lisa was selected out of those five for Mother of the Year, and we’re just delighted,” said Jeri Techman with the Fresno County Women’s Chamber of Commerce, committee chair for this year’s Mother of the Year event.
Techman said that nominations came through the Women’s Chamber of Commerce website, www.fcwcc.org. Required are letters of support from immediate family members, an organization the person is affiliated with, as well as friends and former employers. Nominees also need to have been residents of Fresno County for at least the past 5 years, and have at least one child 18 years of age or over.