Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
CASA volunteers provide advocacy and consistency
Tell us about your organization:
■ Mission: The CASA of Crawford County’s mission is to recruit, train and support volunteer advocates who will serve to ensure safe permanent homes for abused and neglected children in our community.
■ Services provided: Child advocacy. The primary responsibilities of a Court Appointed Special
Advocate volunteer are to gather information; review documents and records; interview the children, family members and professionals in their lives.
■ Service area: Crawford County. However, if a child in the custody of the Division of Children and Family Services is placed out of the county, the CASA volunteer advocate will visit with that child wherever they are.
■ Average number of people served annually: 125 children.
How is your organization’s mission unique? The CASA volunteer advocate is the one consistent adult in the life of a child in foster care, as they move from place to place due to the lack of homes. CASA volunteers advocate for permanency, sibling visits, any need the child has, and tells the court the child’s wishes. A child with a CASA volunteer does not get lost in the system and is less likely to linger in foster care. We are unique, as volunteers are appointed by the juvenile court judge to advocate for the best interest of these children.
Why do you volunteer for a nonprofit organization? I have been on the CASA board for 10 years and served as president for four years. I have seen what CASA does to help children and families, and I believe in what they do. I have been in education for 37 years and have witnessed abused and neglected children who had no one in their lives as an advocate. A CASA is that person they need in their corner.
Do you have a personal connection to the mission? If so, what is it? Not really. I just have a passion for CASA and what they do for children.
What part of your job fills the most of your time? As board chair, I conduct the meetings, assist in hiring staff, meet with the director, conduct staff evaluations per volunteers, review grants, attend fundraisers and anything else the director needs from me.
What have you learned on the job that you didn’t expect? The most difficult thing for me is the Christmas party. We see face-toface all ages of children who are in foster care. I remember at the first party asking a woman how old the baby was that was in her stroller — five days. What a heart breaker!
What challenges face your organization? Not having enough volunteers for every child. Our goal is to have an advocate for every abused and neglected child in foster care in Crawford County. As with all nonprofits, we rely on donations, grants and fundraising to maintain the organization — without the help and support of our community we could not have a program.
Are there volunteer opportunities in your organization? What are they? Court Appointed Special Advocates are needed from all walks of life. If being an advocate is not the right fit, we need help with fundraisers and office help.
What upcoming fundraisers and other events does your organization have planned? Aug. 2, the Taste of Crawford County will be held at the Freshman Academy in Van Buren. We will have our first ever Dutch Oven Lid Lifting on Sept. 8 in Van Buren.
These events bring the community together, and they help us to give an abused and neglected child an advocate, a voice. We want to raise awareness, so these children will have an advocate and not feel so lost in the foster care system.