Henrico CASA in need of 30 volunteers ahead of winter training session
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Henrico CASA, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting abused and neglected children, seeks caring adults to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). The nonprofit has a growing number of cases and needs to fill 30 volunteer advocate roles to accommodate its 29 active cases -- which represent 45 children who need assistance. Henrico CASA's most recent group of sworn-in advocates. Henrico CASA has 100 volunteer advocates, including a class of 11 women who were sworn in by a judge last month. You have to be over the age of 21 to apply. “These kids have so much instability,” said Kristin Blalock, Henrico CASA Director of Partnerships. "They’re asking themselves questions like, ‘Who’s going to make my dinner tonight? Is my parent going to be awake and interactive tonight? Am I going to get hurt tonight?’” Blalock said people often hesitate to become an advocate due to the emotional toll of seeing what these children go through. "It is hard to see, but those children are experiencing those hard things with or without us. I would so much rather that child not be alone," she said. CASA volunteers undergo 40 hours of in-person training before being assigned a child's case. Volunteers visit the child weekly, collaborate with educators and social workers and advocate for the child's best interests in court. Ethel swearing in as a CASA advocate Nae swearing in as a CASA advocate Portia swearing in as a CASA advocate Suzanne swearing in as a CASA advocate Sydney swearing in as a CASA advocate "Our volunteers often hear from children after their case is resolved and life has kind of stabilized and they hear things like, 'I couldn't have made it through without you. Or you are the one person that I trusted to listen and share what I really thought,'" Blalock said. Half of the volunteers work full-time jobs, however, Blalock said the position is flexible. "You can visit the child at lunchtime or after work or after school. You can make the calls whenever it's convenient to you," she said. The next virtual information session is Dec. 11, click here for more information. For steps to become an advocate, click here.
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HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Henrico CASA, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting abused and neglected children, seeks caring adults to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).
The nonprofit has a growing number of cases and needs to fill 30 volunteer advocate roles to accommodate its 29 active cases -- which represent 45 children who need assistance.
Henrico CASA's most recent group of sworn-in advocates.
Henrico CASA has 100 volunteer advocates, including a class of 11 women who were sworn in by a judge last month.
You have to be over the age of 21 to apply.
“These kids have so much instability,” said Kristin Blalock, Henrico CASA Director of Partnerships. "They’re asking themselves questions like, ‘Who’s going to make my dinner tonight? Is my parent going to be awake and interactive tonight? Am I going to get hurt tonight?’”
Blalock said people often hesitate to become an advocate due to the emotional toll of seeing what these children go through.
"It is hard to see, but those children are experiencing those hard things with or without us. I would so much rather that child not be alone," she said.
CASA volunteers undergo 40 hours of in-person training before being assigned a child's case. Volunteers visit the child weekly, collaborate with educators and social workers and advocate for the child's best interests in court.
Ethel swearing in as a CASA advocate
Nae swearing in as a CASA advocate
Portia swearing in as a CASA advocate
Suzanne swearing in as a CASA advocate
Sydney swearing in as a CASA advocate
"Our volunteers often hear from children after their case is resolved and life has kind of stabilized and they hear things like, 'I couldn't have made it through without you. Or you are the one person that I trusted to listen and share what I really thought,'" Blalock said.
Half of the volunteers work full-time jobs, however, Blalock said the position is flexible.
"You can visit the child at lunchtime or after work or after school. You can make the calls whenever it's convenient to you," she said.
The next virtual information session is Dec. 11, click here for more information. For steps to become an advocate, click here.
