"... we fought her battles together." - Nancy, CASA Volunteer

WRITTEN BY:

NANCY

CASA means hope for children, making a difference, and being the answer for many kids in the foster care system. It has truly been one of my life’s greatest challenges and rewards. I have been a CASA to six children, but my last and longest is the one I’d like to highlight. I met Melanie when she was five years old and placed at Orangewood. She came skipping into the visitation room with a big smile on her face and her red pigtails flying. She immediately reached up to hug me and asked if she was going to live with me. She grabbed my heart then and never let go. My CASA relationship lasted 12 years but our friendship and my “mentorship” continue today.

Through 33 placements and 12 schools (I also held her Ed Rights) we fought her battles together. She learned about her art of self-sabotage and some tools to minimize the action and damage. With my help, she learned about her strengths and acquired some handy coping skills.  While she never found her forever adoptive home, she always knew she was loved and cherished for who she was. Academics were especially difficult, but with some prodding and lots of support, she graduated from high school. She moved to Nevada with her partner and has been successful in her pursuits. However, there isn’t a week that goes by that she doesn’t check-in and thank me for being her guardian angel.