CASA of Lexington honors volunteers of the month for April 2020
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (April 20, 2020) — CASA of Lexington’s Volunteers of the Month for April 2020 are Judy Horne and Kim Skidmore.
Judy Horne
Judy and her husband, Mike, have been CASA volunteers since February 2018. They work on cases in Bourbon County.
Judy’s current volunteer manager, Beka Schwartz, said she is an incredible volunteer who truly puts her heart and soul into helping the children on her cases.
“She had a case close that she worked for nearly two years with her husband,” Schwartz said. “In that case, they helped two parents who had hit rock bottom maintain sobriety, regain housing, maintain employment and find a support system.”
The children in that case were able to return home where they could live safe and happy lives — fulfilling the primary goal of CASA’s work.
On her current case, Judy has fought tirelessly for the best interests of a little girl, even when that has resulted in some tough decisions.
“Judy continued to push to move the little girl to a parent’s home. Even though the little girl stopped talking to her, Judy didn’t give up,” Schwartz said. “Now, she is excelling in school and in her home life. Judy has never given up on her tough cases and continues to serve CASA with her whole heart.”
Judy said she heard about CASA through her church.
“I think the thing that is most rewarding about it is how people become family to you that you didn’t know before,” she said. “I think that’s it — the relationships and the fact that you make a difference in people’s lives.”
Judy said serving as a CASA volunteer is time-consuming but rewarding work.
“It’s wonderful and it’s rewarding,” she said. “You do spend more time than you ever think you would."
Kim Skidmore
Kim Skidmore has been a CASA volunteer in Fayette County since May 2018.
“She often goes above and beyond for her cases,” said Cara Macleod, Kim’s volunteer manager. “She meets with teachers, therapists and other interested parties to gather information about the parents and the children.”
While CASA volunteers usually only take on one case at a time, Skidmore has accepted three cases at the same time. That’s because while she was working on two cases, one of her old cases re-opened and a judge asked for a CASA Volunteer.
“When seeking a volunteer, she was willing to say yes to this third case,” Macleod said. “She has many abilities, but I find her greatest asset to be her ability to work with so many different individuals on a case.”
Kim said as a preschool director, she has made calls to social services before, but being a CASA volunteer gave her a fresh perspective.
“It was just interesting to see how the kids had no voice. Who was speaking for the kid? And who asked for things to be done for the child?” she said.
Serving a CASA volunteer, she’s been able to “connect the dots” and help get kids services they need. She’s also been able to speed up case resolutions, getting kids back into safe, permanent homes faster.
“That’s why I love doing it,” she said. “If you love kids and you enjoy doing something that is rewarding and helpful, it is the best thing that you could do."
About CASA of Lexington
CASA of Lexington’s trained and supervised volunteers advocate through the family court system to ensure all victims of child abuse and neglect are safe and thrive in a permanent home. Changes such as where the child lives or goes to school, changes in social workers, teachers and friends, as well as the uncertainty of what life holds, can be very overwhelming for these children. The CASA volunteer is there to help recognize what the child needs, work to minimize these detrimental changes, and advocate for positive changes for the child’s future. Learn more or let us know you’re interested in volunteering at casaoflexington.org or by calling (859) 246-4313.