"It felt like I always had a heart for helping," explained Fawn Jackson-Young, a Utility Account Analyst who has worked for the City of Austin for 23 years. "As I got older it seemed like that heart was coming out more and more."
Fawn always devoted herself to helping others, volunteering with organizations like Family Eldercare and Foundation Communities. Her family has long since gotten used to Fawn missing family dinners to spend her holidays feeding the hungry.
Six years ago, Fawn's life changed when a family member became involved in the child welfare system. The court asked Fawn if she would take in the children, letting her know that otherwise they would enter foster care. "I just couldn't see them separated and living with strangers," said Fawn. "It was a struggle. My son was twenty, so I went from an adult to waking up with three kids under four in my house." Whenever things got hard, though, Fawn found someone there to help, an endlessly flexible boss, a friend who trained to provide respite care or dear friends, like K Young, who offered steadfast encouragement.
Seeing firsthand how CASA refused to give up on her family, Fawn decided to become a volunteer advocate. Now she uses her experience to advocate for keeping another sibling group together. She explained, "I feel like this is a calling or purpose for me."
Volunteer Profiles August 2016
