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Meet Harlene, the CASA Volunteer.

Posted on January 22nd, 2016

IMG_00141) Tell us a little about yourself…I am a divorced woman just starting her fabulous 60’s; with two adult children; a daughter in South Carolina and a son in Colorado. I m a paralegal and have worked for a legal services clinic, attorney, a financial institution, as well as working with children.

2) What originally made you want to become a CASA Volunteer? While living in Illinois, I saw an article about needing CASA and asked the attorney I was currently working for, if he thought I would make a good CASA and he said yes.  Our family was relocating to Indiana and after getting the children settled in school, I was taking a course at Ivy Tech and a flier from Child Advocates was passed out, I took one home and here I am 15 years later still with Child Advocates!

While working towards my paralegal degree, we were encouraged to do community service.  Working in my children’s classrooms I felt confident I could transfer my interaction skills to those of a CASA.

3) What is the most rewarding part of being a CASA Volunteer?  The most rewarding part of being a CASA is helping the children get their ‘voices heard’ and reunifying the families.

4) What advice would you give someone interested in volunteering with CASA? If you are interested in being a CASA: call Child Advocates, ask lots of questions, attend information meetings and then take the training!  Who is going to be the voice of the child(ren) in a court room filled with adults? Who is going to express their unspoken hurt and pain? They need YOU to speak and advocate on their behalf.