Engagement at CASA/GAL, for me, means at the most vital time in their lives, providing deep and meaningful help to children who have experienced abuse or neglect, within a fully integrated platform. Like all things that are worthy, CASA/GAL presents an important challenge, and I love challenges.

I serve on the CASA/GAL board because I believe that kids in the foster care system are some of the most vulnerable in our society. They need support and advocacy from a consistent and caring adult in their lives. I believe CASA/GAL volunteers provide that support and consistency and play a crucial role in helping children have safe, permanent, and loving homes.

As a former social worker in the foster care system, I’m dedicated to supporting children and families who are struggling by connecting them with services to be healthy and united. It’s an honor to serve CASA/GAL’s commitment to the well-being of all children.

I have engaged with my community by advocating for social justice for as long as I can remember. I am inspired by the many positive stories I have heard from the CASA community; it has helped me focus my volunteer interest and am I’m excited to help National CASA/GAL meet its goals and build for the future.

At this time in my life, I have an intrinsic desire to “‘pay it forward.” This is essential fuel for my spirituality and function as a unifier. I serve on the CASA/GAL board because I would like my legacy to be that because of my efforts, I left the world in a better place.

My service on the CASA/GAL board is rooted in the belief that each child is entitled to a network of caring adults to support them through life. CASA/GAL volunteers play a role in building such a network for children to help them

As a former CASA youth and now a child welfare advocate and youth empowerment coach, I know the importance of being seen and heard. I serve because those directly impacted must have a seat at the table to drive change. As the first young adult trustee, I’m honored to bring my lived experience and serve as a voice for the voiceless.

I serve to give kids a chance. It is important that I share some of my blessings with those who can benefit from them. Helping kids in need can make a huge difference to them, their families and our communities.

“I am because we are” is an African proverb that has guided my work with under-served youth for many years. I cannot separate my life and my success from their lives and their challenges. I am compelled to take action and serving on the National CASA/GAL board is one of the ways I can have a significant impact.

I became a volunteer CASA advocate as a way to pay tribute to my mother, who was an advocate herself for several years. Every child deserves a voice and a champion in their corner. When we invest in children, we invest in our collective future. Serving as a CASA advocate and a trustee at the national level fills me with joy and purpose.

It is said that “the test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children”. Every child deserves a safe and loving home, and, when that is not the case, our society should ensure the help of a trusted and caring adult. I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to serve CASA/GAL and its remarkable network of local organizations and volunteers who help hundreds of thousands of child victims of abuse and neglect across our country.

I believe in the power of education and advocacy to create lasting change. Every child deserves the chance to grow up in a world that recognizes their worth and works to ensure their safety. I’ve learned that trauma, while deeply painful, is also something many of us share. For those of us who have found healing or strength on the other side, I believe we have a responsibility to help make that path easier for the next person, to use what we’ve lived through to build systems of care, understanding, and hope.

I serve because every child’s story deserves to be rewritten — from one of uncertainty to one of love, safety, and belonging. I’ve seen how a single voice, standing beside a child in their hardest moments, can help them feel seen and valued again. And I’m inspired every day by the incredible people who give their time, their hearts, and their hope to ensure that every child in care knows they matter.

I can think of no population in our society more needing and deserving of support, of caring, of advocacy than children who have experienced neglect or abuse. I have seen firsthand the impact a CASA volunteer can have on the lives of these children, and I am serving on this board to do my part to ensure every child who needs and can benefit from the advocacy that CASA/GAL programs provide has the opportunity to do so.

We have a multitude of societal challenges, many of which find their source and solution in how we care for our children in the formative years of their lives. My service to National CASA/GAL perfectly aligns with our common desire to serve children, their families and communities so that our youth will grow up to be effective and functioning citizens in our society.