Meet Volunteer Advocate, Lily

By Sara Blake

As the oldest of four, Lily describes her family as very close to each other and to their community. “All of us kids were involved in extracurriculars; for me it was dance and cheer. I knew all my neighbors and often babysat their kids. In some ways I feel like we were the last generation who played outside and remember life without technology.”  

Lily was first made aware of the foster care system and CASA through her neighbors growing up. “This family was so open to accepting anyone into their home, including as a short-term emergency placement for kids in foster care. I remember thinking how cool it was that they were helping other kids like that.”

At UT Austin, Lily studied public relations and was recruited to the Alpha Xi Delta sorority, where she learned about CASA. “I felt like CASA kept popping up in my life, and it stayed in the back of my mind until I graduated and started my career,” Lily explains. “I enjoyed my job, but the corporate world felt a bit disconnected from the larger community. I missed the personal involvement that I had growing up. I had never forgotten CASA, and in 2022 I applied to volunteer.” 

Lily describes her first time speaking in court as “surreal. I had such a realization of how big this system is that was built on behalf of these children,” she says. “Even with all the formalities, each of us was there on behalf of a baby lying in the hospital or a teen alone in a stranger’s home. It’s a weighty responsibility. It’s crazy how unaware most of us are about what goes on in that building.”

In her first case, Lily spent much of her time building a relationship with the child's caregiver. “There were so many people involved in the case and they had to talk to multiple parties every day.” But Lily explained her role as a volunteer, and she was there to advocate for the child’s needs while in their care. Once they understood, they began engaging with her more and sharing more updates about how the child was doing. 

On her next case, Lily was excited to find out she was advocating for a sibling group. “Of course, I immediately connected with the oldest. But I truly had fun with all of them. I focused on spending time with each one individually because I knew how important that was growing up in a big family.” 

She often finds herself reminding others involved in her cases that these kids are just that: kids. “I still remember what it was like to be a teenager!  There’s so much pressure and so many changes already. At this age, kids are just supposed to be figuring out who they are.” 

Lily has encouraged several friends to become volunteers. “It just takes a few hours a week to make a difference in someone’s life. Who am I to not want to do that? Even when the emotional burden feels heavy, you see the impact you’re making. And you realize ‘I can do this. I can show up for this kid.’ And that keeps me saying yes to the next kid who needs CASA.”