On June 16, Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Timothy Schmal swore in 22 community members as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for children in foster care.
All of them completed the CASA 35-hour training program.
CASA of Santa Cruz County recruits, trains, and supervises volunteer Advocates who are matched one on one with a child in the county’s dependency (foster care) court system advocating for them the entire time they have a case open with the Court. As officers of the Court, CASA volunteers ensure that the children’s needs are recognized and their best interests are considered in the courtroom, school, and in the community.
Although there is a great need for bilingual and male volunteers, CASA always encourage people from all cultures and professions and of all ethnic and educational backgrounds to learn more.
Online informational sessions for community members to learn about getting involved with CASA are scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, July 16, and 10 a.m. Friday, July 24.
For information on how to become a CASA volunteer Advocate, contact CASA Outreach Coordinator, Cita Rasul, at (831) 761-2956, ext. 102, or visit www.casaofsantacruz.org/volunteer.
From top left to bottom right: Suzanne Feutz, Jenny Hundemer (trainer), Stacey Blasing, Diane O’Carroll, Nancy Caroline Mann, Rebecca King, Patricia Steinfurth, Suzie Dailey, Nicole Ramirez, Emily Crandall, Julianne May, Prateek Arora, James Holman (staff), Michelle Terra, Uriel Leon, Dana Snyder, Crystal Diaz, Ray Ruiz, Brenda Vasquez, Teresa Delfino, Ashley Ramirez, Melissa Wolf, Wendy Jacoby, and Mary Gaukel Forster.