My morning alarm goes off, I sit up in bed and as my feet hit the floor I know whether I am ready to take on the day or if it is going to be a struggle. As I start my way downstairs, I begin to think about what is on my “plate” for the day. Appointments, meetings, reports, phone calls, etc. Is the day going to be typical, special or challenging? Is it a “mission impossible day” or one “full of possibilities?” I learned early on my journey with CASA that it was better if I chose to start my day with a positive outlook because most days the mission of CASA felt impossible.
I was really naïve about the plight of children, the struggles families faced and the dysfunction of the system when I joined the CASA staff 15 years ago. Newborn babies were being placed in foster care, teenagers were running from it and some children were dying before the state intervened. At times, it felt like things were happening at lightning speed in system that was cumbersome, confusing and wound tightly in red tape. Early on, I remember sitting at my desk feeling overwhelmed, disillusioned and defeated and then I met our CASA volunteers and all that changed.
CASA volunteers believe that anything is possible and they know that trying to do something is better than not trying at all. They will find a way around a roadblock, cut through the red tape, push the system and stand in the gap for as long as it take to ensure that the needs and best interest of the children they are advocating are met. They never give up. Once I understood the heart and the soul of CASA everything changed for me, most importantly my outlook. I begin to believe in the possibilities.
I am so proud of what we’ve accomplished together in my time with CASA. We have grown from 50 to 250 CASA volunteers nearing our goal of 350 volunteers while increasing the number of children served from 75 to 431 marching towards our goal of 702 children. We boldly led the nation into a new service delivery model, helped create a robust network of Oregon CASA programs and became a strong voice of change for our children throughout systems and in our state capital. Every day our volunteers and staff tirelessly advocated for hundreds of children. Never giving up, always meeting challenges head on and effectively pushing to ensure that children got out of the system as quickly and as safely as possible.
CASA is strong not because of one person. It sounds cliché, but it took and it will continue to take a village of people to move the critical mission of CASA forward. No other program does what we do, there is no other volunteer experience that remotely compares to what our CASA volunteers accomplish and I would challenge anyone to find a stronger staff, board or committed donor base. I am honored to have been a part of this “village.” I am excited for CASA as I turn over the reins to my long time accomplished colleague, Heather Murphy. The next chapter is full of possibilities.
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