In 1996, I became a CASA volunteer and have been the appointed CASA for 14 children. My last case closed in September 2010. I have been a CASA staff member since 1999 in two counties, in Oregon. Every day for the past 15 years I have been given the opportunity to watch amazing people plant seeds of hope in the lives of children who are abused, neglected, and abandoned. Children’s lives are positively impacted when they have a voice in the legal, child welfare and education systems. CASA volunteers chose to invest in “their” CASA children and the rewards are great for them, for the children they advocate for and for the community as a whole. It’s a gift to know such wonderful people, but most importantly, to see over and over again the successes in the lives of so many children.

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…to leave the world a better place…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is a privilege to support our CASA Volunteers. They step up when others are backing away. They push when everyone else is standing still. They listen when there is no one else there. And they do it all for children who have no one else to speak for them. CASA volunteers ROCK!

Children are the greatest gift to any community. How they’re raised from the cradle to adulthood has a direct affect on all members of society. There is a saying that children spell love, “T I M E.” As a coordinator, I spell hero, “V O L U N T E E R.” Please donate a small portion of your time and become a CASA Volunteer today. Become a child’s hero!