“It helped me to have someone to talk to and to take me places I would not have been able to go.”" - Ashely, former CASA Youth

WRITTEN BY:

JUDY

Ashley was a shy 16-year-old when I met her. She was polite, super quiet, and rarely started a conversation. She was one of 6 kids. Even though her parents were divorced, she had a loving family that looked out for each other.

We had many fun times going to her favorite places for lunch like Subway, In-N-Out, and McDonald's. She loved going to the movies, probably because her family couldn’t afford to do so. I found that she opened up more when we drove, so I started to plan events that were further away to give us more time to talk.

I introduced her to the local library and encouraged her to check out a fiction book from the teen section. We used my library card and after three months of reading several books, I helped her get her own. We discussed her school, teachers, friends, and academics on a regular basis. We constantly shared how important it was for her to graduate from high school.

Our CASA relationship ended when Ashley turned 18 and began her senior year of high school. Ashley was so motivated to graduate that she encouraged her reluctant sister to complete her senior year too. Ashley recently sent me a text and photos to show me they both graduated from high school in June 2020.

When I asked Ashley what it meant to her to have a CASA, she said, “It helped me to have someone to talk to and to take me places I would not have been able to go.” Being a CASA is a wonderful opportunity. When you show up to see your foster youth on a regular basis, you show them that you care. You can do ordinary things that many of these kids have not experienced and are there for them to talk and listen.