Program at South Pas Library
Article originally appeared in South Pasadena Today, April 9, 2015
Representatives of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) will present a unique volunteer opportunity to assist children on Saturday, April 11, at 2 p.m., in the South Pasadena Library Community Room
CASA volunteers help those who need help the most—children living invisibly, placed in the care of the Los Angeles County juvenile court system.
Vince Schodolski, a South Pasadena resident, describes what it is like to be a CASA volunteer. “You will work as the voice for foster kids ranging from newborns up to those who have not reached age 18. You will meet regularly with your child and your child’s caregivers, teachers, doctors and therapists. You will write reports that become part of the court records. You will attend hearings where you will sit alongside your child and his/her lawyers and provide the court with your unique perspective on your child’s life. You will have a chance to work with both your head and your heart”
The Honorable Teresa Sullivan currently sits in the Edmund D. Edelman Children’s Court in Monterey Park. Earlier in her legal career she acted as minor’s counsel in the county’s juvenile dependency court system, and she is very familiar with CASA’s work. She observes that, within the county’s complex child protective system, “CASA volunteers are the only adults who are not paid to provide services to at-risk children. For a child who has been failed by family and community, the knowledge that an adult cares enough to volunteer as his or her court-trained and –sworn volunteer advocate can be life-changing.”
CASA staff and volunteers look forward to meeting South Pasadena residents in person this coming Saturday to explore how they can provide our community’s most vulnerable youth with effective and personal representation in Los Angeles County’s court and child care system.
