Volunteers, We Appreciate You!

Since April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, CASA staff members want to extend our deep gratitude to all our lovely volunteers. Some recurring words the staff use to describe our volunteers are selfless, devoted, compassionate, and amazing. What a gift to have people like this involved with CASA!

Keep reading to hear from each staff member about how they have been impacted by volunteers.

First, we will hear from one of our advocate supervisors, Meg Tevlin, who said,

“I am constantly in awe of the selfless dedication CASA volunteers have for their cases. Our volunteers devote countless hours, sometimes travel many miles, and work tirelessly to ensure children’s voices are heard and they receive sound advocacy. I am grateful every day we have so many compassionate individuals in our community willing to volunteer.”

Kari Frederick, the program manager, expressed,

“I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the incredible work that you do as court appointed special advocate. Your dedication, compassion, and tireless commitment to advocating for the best interests of children in need have not gone unnoticed. Please know that your efforts are deeply appreciated and valued. You are making a real difference in the world, one child at a time.”

Although just starting his role at CASA as an advocate supervisor, Larry Jay said,

“I’m excited to work alongside our wonderful volunteers, who are such strong advocates for children! Their passion and dedication are truly inspiring, and I’m grateful for the positive difference they make in the lives of children.”

Sam Johnson, the development and marketing specialist, shared,

“One of my favorite parts of my job as development and marketing specialist is getting to learn from and connect with CASA volunteers. I’ve had the privilege to get to know many of them and even share some of their stories, and I am constantly in awe of their compassion, generosity, and dedication. So many CASA volunteers have even gone above and beyond their advocacy role to help me with fundraising, events, and volunteer recruitment. Although I don’t work directly with our volunteers every day, their work is what gives my job purpose and I’m so grateful for”

Another advocate supervisor, Amanda Brader, remarked,

“As an Advocate Supervisor, my CASA volunteers are my favorite part of my work. They constantly inspire me and motivate me to keep doing the work I do. The time and effort my CASA volunteers put into their case is truly amazing, and I am so proud of every one of them. They truly understand the role of being an advocate for a child. I’m so grateful to have such outstanding volunteers!”

Our executive director, Stephanie Sheler, reflected,

“In many jobs during my career, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside amazing volunteers. I’ve always been impressed by their selfless commitment to helping others. The same can be said about the court appointed special advocates at CASA of Kent County. They give their time, energy, knowledge, wisdom, emotions, and heart to advocate for children and families. Individually, they make a direct impact on everyone involved in their assigned case; collectively, they are creating a community where children can flourish. I am so thankful for the CASA volunteers and all of the work they do!”

Melissa Ronquist, the administrative coordinator, commented,

“My work with CASA of Kent County continually reinforces my feelings that working with volunteers on a daily basis is a joy.  Volunteers volunteer for a variety of reasons, but my experience has been that whatever the reason, they are always ready to jump in and meet the challenges their volunteer role brings.  In the case of CASAs, that is often a very difficult role.  It is important to me that volunteers understand that the time and energy they devote is immeasurable and appreciated more than they know.”

Carrie Shoesmith, our new administrative manager, noted,

“Even in my short time on staff at CASA, I have learned of how kind, willing, and intentional our volunteers are. I have heard and read stories of how volunteers have spoken up, stepped in, and done whatever it takes to help the children they advocate for. I am impressed with how determined they are to be a stable person for the children – wanting to show them kindness and faithfulness to earn their trust. The commitment of our volunteers is amazing and inspires me to do the best job I can to support the work of CASA of Kent County.”

With all that our staff shared, we hope our volunteers understand how important they are to the work CASA does and how thankful we are to have them in our corner.  Although we appreciate our volunteers every month of the year, we hope our volunteers feel extra special this month. Happy Volunteer Appreciation Month!