Bourbon County CASA volunteer finds her work with vulnerable children rewarding, heart-warming
CASA Volunteer of the Month Autumn Grace The boy hadn’t known Autumn Grace for long, but he already felt safe enough with her to ask if she wanted to stay for lunch, and what she would like to eat. “That truly made me feel special, because it showed me he could identify that I truly […]
Lexington woman makes a difference for 16 abused and neglected kids as a CASA volunteer
CASA Volunteer of the Month Gretchen LaGodna Over the past seven years and counting, Gretchen LaGodna has changed the lives of 16 abused and neglected children. That may not sound like something the average person could do. But LaGodna is not a social worker, or an attorney, or any kind of professional working with vulnerable […]
Bourbon County woman fulfills her civic duty as volunteer advocate for kids
CASA Volunteer Rachel Davidson-Stebbins Paris, Ky. – After she moved to Paris from Texas in the midst of the pandemic, Rachel Davidson-Stebbins was looking for a way to do her part for her community. “My husband and I had been talking about feeling like we were not meeting our civic duties as responsible citizens and […]
Garrard woman finds rewarding volunteer work advocating for vulnerable children
CASA Volunteer Linda Baker Lancaster, Ky. – Linda Baker is always looking for a way to help her community. She is working with the Garrard County Homeless Coalition, she serves on the Garrard-Lincoln Early Childhood Coalition advisory board and she’s involved with United Way projects, among many other pursuits. She is also a CASA volunteer […]
She saw the problem of child abuse and neglect. CASA gave her a way to do something about it.
CASA Volunteer Cristy Lester-Dunn Cristy Lester-Dunn is not someone who looks away when something is wrong. She looks straight at the problem and does whatever she can to fix it. That’s why she serves on multiple boards focused on child advocacy, legislation and community initiatives. She believes in being involved in making her community better […]
Serving as a CASA gives Susan Bukowski a volunteer experience with depth and impact
CASA Volunteer Susan Bukowski It took a while before Susan Bukowski was in the right place in her life to become a CASA volunteer. But now that she is, she has discovered a volunteer experience with depth, which enables her to have a lasting impact on the lives of vulnerable children. Bukowski first learned about […]
Pediatric nurse keeps helping kids after retirement by serving as a CASA volunteer
CASA Volunteer Cindy Budek Cindy Budek spent 40 years working with kids as a pediatric nurse practitioner at a hospital in Chicago. She dedicated her career to helping kids, including those with complex problems. Now that she has retired and moved to Lexington, Ky., she is still helping kids in a different way: as a […]
He found the ‘cause that fits for me.’ It’s CASA.
CASA Volunteer Michael Raulinaitis Michael Raulinaitis is a single dad with two daughters, who have grown up into a nurse and a physical therapist. He works at the Toyota plant in Georgetown and likes to walk to the farmers market when he’s home in downtown Lexington. A few years ago, he was looking for a […]
She was a ‘state child.’ Now she advocates for foster kids as a CASA volunteer.
CASA Volunteer Kelly Pack As a child, Kelly Pack was a “state child” — she was briefly in foster care, then looked after by a relative. “I know the system can fail people. It failed me,” she said. “That almost cost me my life. So I vowed to never allow that to happen to any […]
‘Direct and immediate impact:’ Lexmark employee uses team-building skills to help neglected children
Kathy Edwards has advocated for six children during two years as a CASA volunteer CASA Volunteer Kathy Edwards Kathy Edwards is the kind of person who understands the value of teamwork. She also likes it when she can make a real difference in the world. So when Edwards learned from a close friend about just […]