Ava

Why did you decide to become a CASA volunteer?

A very important person in my life was an attorney and had been a child advocate in another state. I was looking for a volunteer opportunity that would allow me to directly work with children. I saw a commercial for CASA on television, and it sounded like something I would enjoy.

Tell of a success story with one of your cases, something that made an impact on you.

The child that I'm working with is a year old and doing really well despite everything that is going on around him. I wasn't sure how he would take to me. The first time I met him, he wasn't interested in letting me hold him or anything, but this last time, he recognized me and came right over to see me when I put my arms out. Since he doesn't see his parents that much, I have become one familiar face to him.

How is being a CASA volunteer different from other volunteer opportunities?

You actually get to work directly with a child. Also, everyone at CASA has the same mission and vision. Everyone has a genuine concern for abused and neglected children. That concern resonates throughout everything I've done with CASA. After I went through the training, I was excited and a little nervous about my first case. Then I met people who have been volunteers for longer than I have and realized that everyone is there for the same purpose: to help children find safe permanent homes.

How do you deal with the challenges each case presents?

The training is comprehensive, but each case is different and you have to expect the unexpected. In my case, I was surprised as how many people I wanted to talk to, and how much information I wanted to gather before I made my recommendations.

Would you recommend CASA to a friend? Why?

Actually, I have. A colleague of mine was interested in what I was doing. I told her I was volunteering for CASA and she immediately lit up and said she had always been interested.

There are so many children in this community who are going through things with their families. When I learned about CASA, I realized that this was an opportunity to make a direct impact on the life of a child. It's good to know that there are people who don't have to do this and still choose to be there. I feel like volunteers do a lot that people may never know about or never see, but if they do something that impacts a child, that's all that matters.

If you could say one thing to a child who has been hurt, what would you say?

First of all, I would just let them know that even though life looks bad right now, it will get better. It may be a slow process but it will get better. I would let them know that I'm going to be here to help make that happen.

*James French Photography