1. How long have you been a CASA volunteer?
I’ve been a CASA for 11 years.
2. What brought you to apply to become a CASA volunteer?
I did the CASA training shortly after retiring from a career as a teacher educator. I had been thinking about becoming a CASA since first learning of the program. Because I always loved working with learners of all ages, I thought I might enjoy (and perhaps be good at) working as an advocate for kids.
3. Besides being a CASA volunteer, what do you like to do in your spare time?
In recent years, I have gotten involved in another sort of advocacy — helping refugee families when they first arrive in Bloomington. So far I’ve worked with others to help settle two families here: one from Afghanistan and the other from Honduras. I’ve enjoyed all sorts of activities with them, such as driving them to doctor appointments, helping their children get enrolled in school, taking them to swimming lessons, introducing them to the library, helping them figure out how to ride the bus, and aiding them with furnishing their new apartments. Another new activity for me, since the pandemic, has been joining the New Horizons orchestra — it’s organized by the IU Jacobs School of Music as a community orchestra for adult beginner or intermediate string players. In my case, I’m returning to playing the violin after not touching it since high school! Challenging, but fun!
4. What do you love the most about being a CASA?
I love feeling that I can help make a difference in the lives of children by listening to them and working to ensure that they have all the supports they need for a safe and happy future. Through CASA (and through my refugee work), I feel like I am making that sort of contribution to our society.
Click HERE to learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer.