There is nothing more important than for each of us to be of
service and to make a difference in the betterment of the lives of others. SOS
has made a commitment to donate to a charitable organization with each
completed repair project as a way to show our gratitude for the support and
trust placed in our Contractor Referral Network. SOS is dedicated to protecting
your property in the event it sustains damage and wants you to have a resource
to draw from for hiring reputable contractors. (Visit Our Website at
SOS-CRNetwork.com). SOS is also
committed to protecting children who can’t do so for themselves.
One of SOS’ Service
Professionals, having served as a volunteer for “CASA – Court Appointed Special
Advocates” for 8-years, shares her story. CASA encompasses 933 programs made up
of volunteers that become the voice for abused and neglected children within
the court system.
“I became a CASA in 2004 after I filed for divorce. I was
missing out on the joy that being a step-mother had brought me. I had made a
difficult choice to sever ties with them in order to protect them. As a result,
I felt unfulfilled in no longer being a part of my step-children’s lives or
being part of their support system.
After my separation, I felt an overall emptiness and that my
life lacked purpose. When a friend told me about the CASA Program, I realized I
could shift the focus from my own personal woes and could be a positive support
to a child in need. This was the beginning of me finding my way back to finding
my own personal happiness and fulfilment. After completion of CASA’s training program, I
was assigned to a case with an 8-year old African American boy who became a
joyful force in my life from the moment I met him. A year later, I also
requested to be assigned to his sister’s case because I recognized the
difficulty she was having given their situation.
I was amazed at how different these 2-children were and I
became witness to how they dealt with their day-to-day struggles so
differently. They had been taken away from their home and parents and were growing
up in different homes away from one another. Often, they shared bedrooms with children
who rotated in and out of their lives on a regular basis, some who had better
and sometimes worse stories than theirs to share. They had to deal with trying
to learn to trust the various foster parents and volunteers who were merely
strangers that frequently migrated in and out of their lives while coping with
the disappointment of missed visits from their parents or having limited time
with their parents because of their poor choices in not putting the interests
of their children before their own. Amidst their struggles, we shared a lot of
laugher, some tears, hugs, and have a lot of great memories!
Not only did I enjoy spending time with both children, I became
committed to helping them find the tools and communication they needed to deal
with the challenges they faced. Over an 8-year time period, I met their various
teachers, spoke with their doctors, helped them with their schoolwork, attended
their school events, engaged in physical activities with them, introduced them
to experiences they wouldn’t have had otherwise, spent holidays with them and
talked with the Judge in Court about their case several times each year to
advocate for their needs.
I still believe I walked away from the experience with more
gifts than anything I was able to share with them. Children are great teachers
in forgiveness, being joyful and in displaying unconditional love. I am
continuously grateful for the gifts they gave me and that I was able and to be
there to help them conquer their fears, overcome the challenges they faced and to
celebrate their successes. After 10-years, I am blessed that they are still a
part of my life. This year, I had the opportunity to attend a high school
graduation and watch as one of them became the first high school graduate in
their family. It was one of many proud moments I’ve had in the past decade.
Being a CASA volunteer is an experience I would highly recommend to anyone who
wants to make a difference on a personal level and change the life of a child. Being
a CASA has been one of the top highlights in my life!”
Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw
As spokespeople for National CASA
since 2008, psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw and his wife, Robin
McGraw, have worked to make CASA a household word by repeatedly featuring the
CASA cause on their television show and website. Their support has generated
record numbers of volunteer inquiries and informed millions of people about the
work of CASA programs.
The CASA Program was initially developed in 1977 by a Seattle
juvenile court Judge who recognized a need for children who are moved around within
the social service and foster care system to have a specially assigned volunteer
to be a constant in their life to ensure the child is not lost within the
system and that their needs are met. A CASA or Court Appointed Special Advocate
is assigned when neglected or abused children are having a difficult time in
transitioning within the Foster Care System or are displaying behavioral
problems as a result of their change in environment.
CASA is located in the
different counties of Southern California and is in need of volunteers.
Click on the link below to learn more about this program
that benefits abused and neglected children:
Who Are CASA Volunteers?
Last year, more than
77,000 CASA and guardian ad litem (GAL) volunteers helped 234,000 abused and
neglected children find safe, permanent homes. CASA volunteers are everyday
citizens who have undergone screening and training with their local CASA/GAL
program.
Who Are the Children CASA Volunteers Help?
Judges appoint
CASA volunteers to represent the best interests of children who have been
removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. Each year, more than 600,000
children experience foster care in this country. Because there are not enough
CASA volunteers to represent all of the children in care, judges typically
assign CASA volunteers to their most difficult cases. Read the stories of
young people whose lives were changed by the support of a CASA volunteer.
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