Volunteering
Court Appointed
Special Advocates
Are you a
mature, responsible adult? Can you talk to people who are having problems? Do
you have time to commit? Do you care about children?
If your answers are "yes," then you
may qualify to be a CASA volunteer. You can email the Volunteer
Coordinator at trainer@casatnh.org to
learn more and to find out about our training schedule.
CASA needs volunteer assistance in many areas of the organization:
 Court
- Office
- Special
Events
- Special
Projects
- Speakers
Court
CASA volunteers come
from all walks of life. They have a variety of professional, educational, and
ethnic backgrounds. No special background is required. Volunteers are selected
on the basis of their objectivity, competence, and commitment. Once accepted,
CASA volunteers are trained. It takes about 10 to 15 hours a month to be a CASA
volunteer. It's hard work, but very gratifying.
CASA volunteers
offer children trust, advocacy, and continuity during complex legal proceedings,
but CASA volunteers do not become friends with the child or the other parties
involved. To find out more about CASA volunteers, read our Fact
Sheet.
CASA volunteers are
ordinary citizens. They work alongside attorneys and social workers as appointed
officers of the court. When a CASA volunteer is appointed to a child's case, he
or she is responsible for taking the time to find out as much as possible about
the child. CASA volunteers search for information by reviewing records,
interviewing parents, and talking to teachers, neighbors, and most importantly,
the child. The volunteers then appear in court to recommend to the judge what's
best for the child's future.
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Special
Events
CASA has been
sponsoring an annual National Igloo Open, a
miniature golf tournament which attracted children of all ages to play a special
round of golf for a good cause--CASA! After
seven great years, the National
Igloo Open is retiring. We thank all our many supporters through the
years. Watch this space for announcements about other events we are
planning. Sponsors and supporters will be need, so please call the CASA
office at 425-0888 to see how you or your organization can help with our next
event.
On April 4, 2002,
CASA of the Tennessee Heartland held a Volunteer
Appreciation Dinner at the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall in
Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It was attended by well over 50 CASA volunteers and
staff who enjoyed an evening of great food, recognition and appreciation, and an
inspiring speech by Bill Williams of WBIR-TV. Mr.
Williams is a well recognized local newscaster who has helped many hard to adopt
children find new homes with his long running "Mondays
Child" series on TV. Mr. Williams speech talked about
his mother's determination to help a bright student with a speech impediment,
and how that helped change his life for the better and ultimately helped those
around him. The message was that sometimes we need to "think
small" in order to have a big impact on peoples lives - one person at a
time. Mr. Williams message was heart felt by the many volunteers who help
one child at a time, and do it in an unselfish way considering that volunteers
can't even talk about it to their own friends and family because of
confidentiality. This event was about honoring those unspoken
heroes. At the end of the evening Cyndy Bailes, Executive Director of the
local CASA programs, honored Mr. Williams by making him an Honorary CASA
Volunteer.
March 16, 2002, the Pine
Mountain Railroad Bluegrass Concert was held for the Campbell County CASA
program. Over 300 cheering bluegrass fans and supporters of CASA attended
to listen to the Pine Mountain Railroad Band, the New Road Band, and the S &
S Express Band play some terrific bluegrass music. A Silent auction was
held with items donated by many local supporters and merchants that raised much
needed funds for the Campbell Country CASA. Local CASA Executive Director,
Cyndy Bailes said, "We would not have the impact on the lives of so many
children without the generous support of so many volunteers and
businesses. Words can hardly express the gratitude and appreciation I feel
toward every one of them." The event was such a success that
supporters pledged to do it again next year.
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Guest
Speakers
To promote greater
community awareness, CASA is happy to provide special guest speakers for
community organizations, civic and church groups. If you would be interested in
learning about CASA and sharing with the community, please contact Cyndy Bailes
at the CASA office.
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