#KYGives20 is May 12. Here's how you can support CASA of Lexington.
TL;DR — You can join the #KYGives20 movement on or before May 12 by giving to CASA of Lexington, to help us provide court-appointed special advocates to abused and neglected children in the family court system.
When Sadie was assigned her court-appointed special advocate, she had already been through a lot. The 8-year-old had no stable family member who was willing to care for her. As a result, she was forced to find shelter with anyone who would take her.
(Sadie’s name and details about her have been changed to protect her identity)
Sadie frequently moved from place to place and school to school, somehow remaining unnoticed by social services and other caring adults. But when her situation was finally recognized and a court case was opened, the judge appointed CASA of Lexington — and Sadie gained one of the first stable, positive adult influences in her life.
There are hundreds of children like Sadie in the family court systems of Fayette, Bourbon and Woodford counties — there were 1,346 petitions for child abuse or neglect in 2019 alone. Fortunately, CASA of Lexington’s trained volunteers were there to help more than 600 children on their paths back toward safe, happy and permanent homes.
These kinds of nonprofit success stories are what KYGivesDay is all about. Set for May 12, 2020, #KYGives20 is the culmination of a statewide movement to support nonprofits and all the invaluable services they provide to their communities. Nonprofit work like CASA’s is often done quietly and behind-the-scenes, but it is essential to the whole community’s success.
When we can give a child a happy childhood, we also give her a happier adulthood. She is more likely to do well in school, more likely to go to college or find a good job, more likely to break the cycle of abuse and show love to children in her own life.
CASA of Lexington is already helping so many kids. But unfortunately, Kentucky is No. 1 in the nation for child abuse. There are hundreds more children just in our service area that need a CASA volunteer. You can help meet that need by giving to CASA of Lexington for #KYGives20, or by becoming a volunteer yourself.
You can give at a suggested donation level or whatever amount you’re comfortable with at bit.ly/casakygives20. Your donation is tax-deductible, and when you donate, we’ll loop you in on CASA of Lexington news and volunteering opportunities.
SO YOU KNOW: Being a CASA volunteer is a serious commitment, but it can also be seriously rewarding. After an initial 30-hour pre-service training, new volunteers are sworn in by a judge and assigned the case of a child or children in the family court system. Volunteers spend 6-10 hours a month visiting with their child or children, interviewing adults connected with the child and writing reports for the judge. We ask all volunteers to commit to two years of service to ensure CASA children won’t have to change volunteers partway through their cases. Learn more and fill out an initial application at casaoflexington.org/volunteer.