Growing up, I was very close to my cousin Stacey. We were only a few years apart, and we saw each other almost weekly. Stacey lived on one side of a duplex, and my grandparents lived on the other. So, during my family’s regular visits to my grandparents’ house, I almost always ended up playing with Stacey.
Years later, when we were both married with young children of our own, we still found ways to stay connected. During the summer, we would often meet at Holland State Park with our kids. Those beach days became our chance to catch up on life and talk about everything that had happened over the past year. To be honest, our children didn’t always appreciate those conversations. In fact, Stacey’s kids jokingly referred to them as “spreading the word” — and not in a good way. Stacey and I would just laugh. After all, our children were in elementary school, and there really wasn’t that much to spread the word about.
But over the years, I’ve come to think differently about that phrase. Some things should be spread by word of mouth. At CASA of Kent County, we need people willing to spread the word about children in foster care, about the need for advocates, and about the difference one caring adult can make in a child’s life. In fact, most people who inquire about becoming a CASA volunteer first learned about CASA because someone in their life invited them to an event, encouraged them to visit our website, or simply said the powerful words “You would make a great CASA volunteer.” Those simple conversations matter more than you may realize.
Every time you talk about CASA, share your experience, invite someone to learn more, or encourage another person to get involved, you are helping children in foster care move one step closer to having a voice. Many of the volunteers, donors, and supporters who are part of CASA today are here because someone else was willing to spread the word. So, thank you for continuing to tell CASA’s story. Thank you for inviting others into this mission. And thank you for helping us spread the word.
This story is featured in the Summer 2026 edition of CASA Connect, CASA of Kent County’s quarterly newsletter. Click here to view a pdf version of this newsletter.
As the CASA staff member in charge of volunteer recruitment, I get a lot of questions about what training is like. So, I decided to find out for myself! I attended all five weeks of training, completed online pre-work, observed a court hearing, and was even sworn in as an officer of the court.
At CASA of Kent County, we embrace five values that drive our work: Be Curious, Forge Community Connections, Strive for Excellence, Take the Next Right Step, and Believe in CASA’s Mission. Earlier this year, Executive Director Stephanie Sheler asked staff members to decorate their doors to represent each of those values. Some were more enthused than others by the thought of arts and crafts, but everyone jumped in with unique ideas of how to represent their assigned value.
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