Episode 14: CASA

At Home in Bloomington with Realtor Deb Tomaro

December 10, 2018

Volunteering is one of the best ways to become more At Home in your community. You meet people, make friends, and feel a part of something. While all nonprofits need our donations, today’s guest also really needs YOU. What started in Seattle over 30 years ago as an effort to hear the voices of child victims in the courtroom became a nationwide program called CASA or Court Appointed Special Advocate. Our local Monroe County CASA serves over 400 children per year and has a waiting list of children in need of an advocate. We chat with Resource Development Coordinator, Amber Shride and CASA, Christy Langley, about the history, process and volunteer opportunities in the organization (though Deb mostly wanted to talk about Jordy, the CASA courthouse facility dog!).

Monroe County CASA is a volunteer-powered program which provides representation in juvenile court for child victims of abuse and neglect. The program recruits, screens, trains, and supervises adult community members who volunteer their time to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs). CASAs provide advocacy to child victims to ensure that they remain at the forefront of the court proceedings and find a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible.

In our Facebook Follow segment we encourage listeners to follow Pronounce Skincare and Herbal Boutique, located at 522 N Morton, just down the street from CASA! With a super fun business model, you can either buy your skincare products or buy the ingredients and make your own. DIY or Buy! We love it! And in our REAL-List segment, we talk about Caveat Emptor, buyer beware, in real estate, sharing a few scams that are truly too good to be true.