Mackenzie first met the gentleman who would become her CASA volunteer when she was just five years old, living in the small town of North Pole, Alaska.

“He had curly hair that looked exactly like mine. I remember him kneeling down and talking to me,” she recalls. “He was so nice—and one of the few people who worked on my case that I have a distinct memory of.”

In a time of uncertainty and confusion, when Mackenzie’s parents were going through a custody battle, her CASA was one constant in her life she could count on.

“When you’re a child, you get dismissed a lot, and you have a lot of questions,” says Mackenzie. “It’s really nice to have someone check in with you, to allow you to communicate how you’re actually feeling, and to know that your voice matters.”

Years later and many miles from home, Mackenzie rediscovered CASA while studying communications at TCU and rushing for the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. The sorority has fundraised for CASA of Tarrant County since 1989 and frequently holds information sessions for members.

“We watched a video about a little boy and the monsters under the bed. And I remember sitting there and just crying throughout it because I knew exactly what that felt like,” Mackenzie recalls. “I said, I just miss my family. I miss my home. I don't know what I'm doing here, but I know I need to be here.”

Since then, the TCU graduate has started her law degree at Texas A&M and is a volunteer CASA for three children, aged 3 to 13. She regularly helps them navigate a new world living with their grandparents by offering her support to the entire family—from suggesting books and podcasts for the grandparents to working with teachers to address the kids’ reading challenges. 

“The growth that they've had in a matter of months that I've spent with them has been phenomenal,” says Mackenzie. “A little girl who barely talked to me the first time I met her, now is so excited to see me. She runs up and wants to show me everything that's going on in her little world.”

Her chance to bond with these children—and be a constant in their lives—has also helped Mackenzie stay connected to her own siblings, even though they are thousands of miles apart.

“One of the best things about the small town where I grew up is I learned it takes a village to raise a child,” she says. “I think that’s the most rewarding thing you can do is to help someone else. I encourage everyone to do it.”

Like Mackenzie, you care about children in our community who are looking for stability and a voice. Like her, you want them to know they are going to be loved and cared for no matter what is happening in their lives.

Because you care, advocates like Mackenzie can provide lasting, life-changing support to families in crisis. 

Mackenzie couldn’t have been a CASA volunteer and couldn’t have been so consistently invested in their lives, without your help. Right now, your support of CASA is transforming the lives of children and their families.

You are making a lasting, positive difference. 

You have already made a lasting impact on Mackenzie and the children she advocates for, and there are more children in care who need you. The need is still great. Right now, another at-risk child is being removed from their home, and they need you to help them find stability and a voice in the court system.

You inspire us to continue to provide a village of support for all children in Tarrant County who find themselves in the foster care system. 

We want to thank you—for every child’s life you have already impacted with your advocacy, and every life that continues to be transformed by your compassion.