Supporter Spotlight: Cindy, Pat, and Molly

I love to see the extraordinary ways community members come together to provide steadfast support for CASA of Kent County and the children we serve. When I choose volunteers and donors to feature in CASA’s quarterly newsletters, I often try to highlight partnerships that demonstrate this consistency. As I assembled the storyboard for the Fall 2026 issue, a special connection between long-term supporters kept coming to mind. I’m excited to share with you some reflections from my conversation with three volunteers: Cindy, Pat, and Molly, all of whom are parishioners of St. Robert of Newminster, a church that has been generously supporting CASA for more than 20 years.

Advocacy begins

Cindy was the first of the three to begin her CASA volunteer tenure. She first heard about CASA of Kent County from Monsignor R. Louis Stasker, the pastor of St. Robert’s at that time. Father Stasker, a former CASA board member who served during the early 2000s, has helped spread the word of CASA’s mission ever since. He shared a marketing video with Cindy and she was hooked. After completing training and taking her first case in 2008, Cindy has served as an advocate on several subsequent cases over the past 18 years.

Pat stepped into advocacy in a similar way. When she was looking for a way to donate her time in her retirement, someone from the St. Robert offices directed her to Cindy to learn more about CASA. Pat completed training in 2021 and has since taken two cases.

Having started her first case in 2023, Molly is the newest CASA volunteer of this group, although her three years of advocacy already reflect an outstanding commitment. She heard about CASA on the radio and saw the opportunity as a natural fit after her career as a teacher.

While each of these women followed their own path to advocacy, their connection to each other and the community shone through in our conversation. It was evident from their answers to my questions that Cindy, Pat, and Molly are deeply committed to their roles as advocates.

Lessons learned

Cindy shared an important lesson learned over her years of experience: “Suspend judgement… Be curious about what children and families are going through. Hold your first thought and wait until you get the full picture to think of possible solutions.” Many years later, an exercise from CASA training about recognizing families’ strengths sticks with her every time she experiences new or unfamiliar situations.

Another theme Cindy, Pat, and Molly covered during our conversation was the impact of consistency for children and families. For each of them, CASA training and subsequent case experience came with the realization that there are members of the Kent County community who benefit significantly from having the consistent presence of an advocate. Due to the turnover rates of foster care caseworkers, these advocates have sometimes found themselves being the one who has been on the case the longest. In practice, the impact of someone showing up repeatedly makes a difference, not only for children, but also for parents, foster parents, and others involved with family court cases.

Impact big and small

Being a court appointed special advocate can be a heavy role, yet it also comes with clear moments of impact. Sometimes success is obvious, like a happily tearful adoption hearing or a heartfelt reunification of mother and child. Other times, the impact is quiet: a recommendation taken, a belated phone call expressing appreciation, being referred to as “My Molly,” by a child too young to understand the role of an advocate.

A growing legacy

Cindy, Pat, and Molly have each created an extraordinary legacy alongside St. Robert of Newminster Parish. Beyond their direct advocacy, they spread the word of CASA’s work to others, inviting friends to CASA events and representing CASA in the community. The St. Robert’s congregation remains one of CASA’s most long-term donors, having supported the mission of advocacy for most of our time serving Kent County. Through words, actions, and gifts, this partnership clearly reflects a community coming together to support its most vulnerable members: children who have experienced abuse and neglect. On behalf of CASA, I’d like to thank these women and their church for their extraordinary support of our mission! Their consistency allows CASA to plan ahead to meet needs as they arise and enables sustainable future growth for years to come.

This story is featured in the Fall 2026 edition of CASA Connect, CASA of Kent County’s quarterly newsletter. Click here to view a pdf version of this newsletter.