From: Therese Miller, Advocates for Children executive director
Columbus
It’s the time of year when many of us are examining the upcoming year and determining our priorities. Whether it’s a new strategy at the office, more time spent with our children or grandchildren, or a few more visits to the gym, we’re deciding where to devote our energy. But for hundreds of children in our local community, the priority is clear: find a place to call home.
You see, nobody longs for a safe and loving family more than a child in foster care. As a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer, you can help make this dream a reality. CASA volunteers are empowered by the courts to bring positive change not only to the lives of these vulnerable children, but also to their children and for generations to come. And in doing so, you will enrich your life as well.
You do not have to be a lawyer or a social worker to be a volunteer. We welcome people from all walks of life. We are simply looking for people who care about children and have common sense. As a volunteer, you will be thoroughly trained and well supported by professional staff to help you through each case.
As a CASA volunteer, a person will get to know the child in their case by talking with everyone in that child’s life: parents and relatives, foster parents, teachers, medical professionals, attorneys, social workers and others. Then the volunteer will use the information they gather to inform judges and others of what the child needs and what will be the best permanent home for them.
Will residents make these vulnerable children a priority in this new year? We are currently accepting applications for our 2018 training classes, the first of which will begin on Monday.
To learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer, or to submit an application, please contact our office at 812-372-2808, or complete our simple form online at apowerfulvoice.org/casa.
Let’s make 2018 the year these children’s dreams come true.
