By Callie Langford
As our community, state and country are responding to COVID-19, CASA of Travis County is looking for every possible way to continue our essential advocacy for children who are vulnerable, while prioritizing the safety of our volunteers, staff and the children and families we serve and support.
The need for CASA does not go away during this time. The majority of the children we serve come from vulnerable populations who may be more dramatically affected by the pandemic. At this time, 40% of the children we’re serving live with relatives, many of whom are elderly grandparents at much higher risk. The fears and anxieties provoked by this outbreak and time of uncertainty can be compounded for children who have also experienced trauma.
The children we serve still need our advocacy, and that’s why we’re moving our active volunteers to conducting weekly video check-ins with children at a time when visits in-person aren’t possible.
We cannot forget about the 548 children who don’t yet have a volunteer right now.
But we cannot forget about the 548 children who don’t yet have a volunteer right now. They don’t have the benefit of that consistent, comforting adult who knows them well and is checking on them regularly. They need us now, and they will need us after this difficult time comes to a close.
So this is our challenge to you.
Use this time of self-quarantine and “social distancing” to better yourself and your community by becoming a CASA volunteer. We have moved our info sessions, pre-training interviews and volunteer training process entirely online to keep our prospective volunteers and our staff safe. We are still ready for you to become a CASA volunteer.
Connect with interesting new people online, keep your brain active by learning new skills, and have a positive impact on our community.
You can use this time of shelter-in-place and our online Training Cycles to connect with interesting new people online, keep your brain active by learning new skills, and have a positive impact on our community as you become a volunteer advocate and a powerful voice for children in need.
During your training, you will learn about topics like Trauma, Resilience, Mental Health, Poverty, Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, Cultural Humility, LGBTQ Youth & Identity, Educational Advocacy, Communications Skills and more. You will meet people like you who are not your typical volunteers… people who want to have the biggest possible impact on our community by taking on one of the most professional volunteer opportunities out there to better the lives of children. You will get to know our awesome, friendly, knowledgeable and funny trainers—Lydia, Wendy and Ryan— who have a combined 41 years of experience in the CASA world! You will have a great time as you learn and grow with CASA, even if you do it from the comfort of your own living room.
We hope you will join us! Here’s how to get started:
- RSVP for one of our online Volunteer Info Sessions to learn more and get your questions answered before you apply.
- Visit our Volunteer and FAQ pages to read everything, then complete the Next Steps form at the bottom of the Volunteer Page. You’ll get access to our official volunteer application via email, and our recruitment team will be reaching out to you soon!
2020 March Recruitment
