Jackie Washburn, Stephanie Butler Named CASA Volunteers of the Month for November 2021
CASA of Lexington has named Jackie Washburn and Stephanie Butler as CASA Volunteers of the Month for November.
CASA Volunteer Jackie Washburn
Washburn has been a CASA volunteer for more than five and a half years. She has advocated for 10 abused or neglected children over six family court cases during that time.
Washburn said she had previously served as a CASA volunteer and as she got ready to retire from her job with Toyota, she thought, “I’m going back to CASA.”
“I just missed it real bad and I wanted to help,” she said. “It’s fulfilling and you’re helping. I know the numbers of kids in need are going up. I’m making a difference if I can help a family.”
Washburn’s Volunteer Manager Liz Matherly nominated her for the honor.
“Jackie does a wonderful job of connecting with both the families and children in her cases,” Matherly said. “Most recently, she was re-appointed to a case she had previously been on, which had closed. The relationships she had built previously helped her jump right back in with the family this time around.”
CASA volunteers visit with abused or neglected children monthly, often getting to know them and their needs better than anyone else in the courtroom. The insights and context provided by CASA reports help judges make more informed decisions that get kids services they need and move them back into safe, permanent homes faster.
CASA Volunteer Stephanie Butler
Stephanie Butler is also a CASA Volunteer of the Month for November. Butler recently moved to Georgia for her husband’s job, but has continued to serve on her current CASA case.
CASA volunteers are asked to commit to serving through the closure of their CASA child’s case, in order to ensure consistency for the child. For some CASA children, their CASA volunteer is the only adult consistently showing up in their lives.
Butler’s Volunteer Manager Liz Noffsinger said she has gone above and beyond in her dedication.
“Stephanie wants to see her case through to closure and drives from Atlanta monthly to visit her CASA kids,” Noffsinger said. “Stephanie’s court reports are exemplary. She provides so much detail that the judge remarked she really feels like she knows the kids so much better because of it.”
Butler said she really enjoys being a consistent presence in her CASA children’s lives.
“The kids have been in multiple placements, had different schools, therapists, doctors …” she said. “I try very hard to let the kids know that I will always be there for them. It is so important for kids to know that there is an adult that they can count on.”
Both Butler and Washburn said they would encourage others to become CASA volunteers, as well.
“You cannot always fix a problem or situation. However, you can be there for the kids!” Butler said. “Knowing that you are helping kids and families navigate the system to get them as much help as possible and have the best outcome possible is the reward.”