Volunteer Appreciation

YWCA Clark County CASA Program Staff would like to recognize the 224 volunteers who provided approximately 36,000 hours of service and served over 650 children and families in 2014. Your role as an advocate is fundamental in the life of each and every child we serve. Thank You to all our volunteers who so generously contribute to the safety of the most vulnerable children in our community and the quality of our Clark County YWCA CASA Program.

Judy Reel joined the CASA Program in 2014. Judy is a valuable resource and voice for the 2 children she is currently serving and the family unit as a whole. We would like to highlight some of Judy’s accomplishments in 2014; Judy facilitated the donation of sleeping bags that the children needed for camp, ensured the children’s applications for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program were completed; the young lady she is serving is enjoying her Big Sister and the young man is on a waiting list for his Big Brother. Judy maintains regular contact with the children and their services providers to ensure the children’s needs are meet and advocates to ensure efforts are in their best interest. Judy is readily available to support the children and family care provider to ensure their needs and concerns get addressed in a timely manner. Thank you, Judy Reel for being an amazing Clark County CASA Advocate.

Janice Wright joined the CASA Program in 2012 and is currently serving 3 families and 5 children- all under the age of 3. Janice served a total of 4 families and 6 children in 2014. Janice strives to promote reunification and services for children and parents to ensure healthy and safe reunifications- if possible. She has been a valuable resource and voice for the children she serves. Janice strongly advocated for a child who was 2 grade levels behind his peers and not reaching benchmark. He desperately needed additional educational supports and it was part of his service plan, however after multiple delays from the referring resource, Janice prevailed in court when the commissioner ordered tutoring. One of the most beautiful connections Janice has made is with the very young mother- who too is a dependent child. Although, Janice is not an advocate for this mother she had been an amazing support in effort to get the mother to engage with the department, services, and to strive to seek reunification of her child. Thank you, Janice Wright for being an amazing Clark County CASA Advocate.

Betsy Sanford Betsy has had a very successful year advocating for three children in two cases. Betsy has helped establish and maintain much needed academic support for one child, empathetically supported another through a move to a new foster home, and helped a teen find her voice and the strength to be herself. Betsy attends every urgent meeting, stays persistent in communication even when others do not, and stands strong in court to guarantee her children are being heard and their lives respected. Betsy’s dedication to learning about her CASA children, their wants, their needs, their hopes, and fears as well as her unwavering compassion for them to have the best lives they can shows in her ever present efforts to champion without compromise for what’s in their best interest. 

Cheri Walker started with the CASA program in 2014. Cheri has done an amazing job jumping in with both feet. Cheri has two cases; a teenager and a little one, both with very different challenges. One of her cases has been through a few Advocates due to the great challenges involved with the case. Cheri has worked hard, persevered despite the numerous obstacles and set-back’s she’s faced, never giving up for this child. We are so impressed and proud to have such a dedicated and amazing advocate on our team! Thank you Cheri for all your hard work!

Sharon Crouch started with the CASA program in 2014. She has had 3 cases, one which has had a successful return home, one almost complete with adoption, and one that the outcome is still unknown. Sharon has diligently investigated her cases to make sure every piece is looked into and considered, there is no rock left unturned in her cases! She has also mentored some of our newest volunteers! Sharon is amazingly organized, extremely reliable, dedicated, and one of the first to step up and help when an extra hand is needed. Sharon, your hard work and dedication not only to the kids, but to the others in the program as well is invaluable! Thank you for your amazing service to CASA.