“It’s easy to see the things that aren’t working in our community and complain about it. I’d rather help find solutions.”
It’s timely that this month is when we have chosen to feature CASA Advocate Dori, as it was nine years ago exactly that she began training to be a CASA Volunteer.
After her husband’s retirement, the family settled in Texas, and Dori met a CASA volunteer through church. “Knowing how overworked the CPS system is, this sounded like the perfect way to make a difference,” she says. “It’s easy to see things that aren’t working and complain about it, but I’d rather help to find solutions.”
Dori and her two children moved around the country through her husband’s Air Force career. She had studied math and chemistry through grad school at the University of Irvine in California, but it was hard to maintain a career with such constant location changes. “Volunteering was always something I could always do no matter where I was,” says Dori, “and I always found myself working with kids, often in a school setting or a shelter setting. I realized I had a real passion for it.”
After her husband’s retirement, the family settled in Texas, and Dori met a CASA volunteer through church. “Knowing how overworked the CPS system is, this sounded like the perfect way to make a difference,” she says. “It’s easy to see things that aren’t working and complain about it, but I’d rather help to find solutions.”
Dori has been both a traditional volunteer and a Family Finding volunteer over the course of 17 cases. While she misses being able to visit with kids on her cases, the flexibility of Family Finding has proven to be a great fit for Dori. “We approach Family Finding with the idea that some family should be engaged in the child’s life if at all possible,” Dori explains. “Our goal is to find someone who can be a healthy connection, keep in touch, mentor, and help build the child’s self-worth.”
Another of Dori’s favorite parts of her role is building a family tree for each child. “It shows them who they are connected to and how. Now, if they want to contact an aunt or uncle or grandparent one day on their own, they have the information they need.”
Dori’s first Family Finding case still stands out to her more than five years later. “I had finally gotten ahold of the father and uncle on the case, and I asked about family connections who would be good to be involved in the children’s lives,” she remembers. “They both suggested an aunt of a half-sibling. So, she has no relation to the kids on the case, but her nephew is their half-sibling. Well, that nephew apparently asked his aunt why his half-siblings can’t come and live with him! She responded, ’I don’t see why not! We’ll take them in!’ We don’t necessarily expect a placement to come out of Family Finding, so when it does, it’s a wonderful surprise.”
Another of Dori’s favorite parts of her role is building a family tree for each child. “It shows them who they are connected to and how. Now, if they want to contact an aunt or uncle or grandparent one day on their own, they have the information they need.”
As a grandmother to two little girls, Dori feels even more strongly about this work and doesn’t see herself stopping anytime soon. “Kids both in and out of the foster care system just need people to be on their side and to believe in them. I think if you have a heart for kids, there’s no doubt that getting involved with CASA is incredibly worthwhile.”
Dori wants to make sure people are aware that there are several volunteer options to choose from at CASA. “Family Finding is very flexible. There’s a lot of computer work and phone calls as you search out connections, but I can do much of that on my own time,” she shares. “Early Family Engagement is another way to go; it’s labor intensive for a couple of weeks early on in the case, and then you’re done and on to the next case. And as a traditional volunteer, you are connected to more people on the case and build a relationship with the child through monthly visits.”
As a grandmother to two little girls, Dori feels even more strongly about this work and doesn’t see herself stopping anytime soon. “Kids both in and out of the foster care system just need people to be on their side and to believe in them. I think if you have a heart for kids, there’s no doubt that getting involved with CASA is incredibly worthwhile.”
