Hanukkah sameach! In celebration of the season, we are spotlighting CASA volunteer Maria who discusses how her Jewish faith and values led her to become a CASA.
Maria says,
“The thing that made me decide to become a CASA was hearing about it from a friend. The second I heard about CASA’s mission and what I could do as a CASA I knew I wanted to join. The most rewarding part of being a CASA is definitely getting to see the difference I made with the family I worked with. Watching a family be able to reconvene was so special.
A special moment from my case was when I was able to spend time with the children and see the difference that I was making. Having the children get excited to see me showed me how important I was to them. My favorite way to connect with my CASA kids is to read to them and play with them. Watching the kids light up when I read to them is something I won’t forget.
I think having a CASA volunteer throughout such a chaotic time is important for foster youth for many reasons. One reason is because foster youth go through so much and see so many different people, and having a constant person can help with emotional and mental health.
My Jewish faith has always been the backbone of why I do everything that I do. Helping others is something that has always been important to me, and is important in Judaism. Becoming a CASA was something that I knew I had to do because of the impact I could make through it. I would encourage everyone, including those in the Jewish community, to get involved with CASA by either volunteering or donating anything they can during this holiday season. Donating toys, clothes, books, etc can help a child more than you think.