CASA Honors Six Volunteers' Dedication to Lengthy Cases

Clockwise from top left are Kelley Sloane, Anne Flynn, Ava Crow, Sandy Nichols, Kelly Hale and Doug Myers.

This month, CASA of Lexington is celebrating six dedicated volunteers who are working our longest-running current cases. Each of them has been named a Volunteer of the Month for September, and given an "Extra Mile" award for their service.

These volunteers have been advocating for the children on their cases for years, following them for significant portions of their lives. CASA volunteers provide children with a familiar, consistent adult who stays with them no matter what else might be changing about their lives. In these lengthy cases, the volunteers' dedication has had and will continue to have a huge positive impact on their children's lives.

Here are the six "Extra Mile" Volunteers of the Month:

Kelley Sloane has been assigned to her CASA child's case for six years. She has spent more than eight years as a volunteer with CASA of Lexington.

"She has been the only consistent person in this child's life and has advocated for him through every step of this case, even when it has been incredibly difficult," said Jenifer Bahr, Sloane's Volunteer Manager. "She has been so dedicated to this child and making sure his needs are not only met, but he finds his perfect forever family."

Ava Crow and Anne Flynn have been working together on their CASA case for more than five years. It's a case they've been following since just four days after they graduated from their pre-service training in the summer of 2015.

"Through their tireless advocacy, the children have remained in the same stable placement since the beginning of the case and are set to soon be adopted by a very loving family," Bahr said.

Doug Myers has been advocating for the child on his CASA case for almost four and a half years. He has been a CASA volunteer since 2014. His Volunteer Manager Kyrsten Adkins said Doug calls his CASA child weekly and knows the case better than anyone else.

"His child has been placed all over the state and Doug has been there every month, no matter how far from Lexington," Adkins said. "While everyone else in the world has given up on this child, Doug hasn't and still sees his potential."

Kelly Hale has been a CASA volunteer for almost seven years, and she has been on her current CASA child's case for just over four years. Adkins said Kelly has been a constant in her child's case and that has enabled her to speak up for the child's best interests.

"She has voiced concerns even when in opposition to others and has been right every time about the outcome of those concerns."

Sandy Nichols will have spent four years advocating for the children on her CASA case in October. Adkins said Sandy has really been a champion for the needs of her CASA children.

"They both have special needs and she has voiced concerns and provided solutions to the court," she said. "The judge who presides over her case sees her as a valuable resource, and so do I."