CASA Volunteer of the Month: Kate Black
By Catherine Hale, CASA Communications Intern
CASA of Lexington Volunteer Kate Black
Kate Black is passionate about gardening. When I spoke to her on the phone, she had just come in from picking fresh blackberries on what she calls her “tiny farm” in downtown lexington. Black, however, finds joy in nurturing young people as well as her garden.
A year and a half ago, Black was encouraged by some friends who were already CASA advocates to apply to become a volunteer.
“I thought, I’m retired now, I have a certain set of skills.”
Black worked as an advocate in legal services for many years.
“I definitely didn’t know all of the ins and outs of child advocacy, but I knew from my time on UK’s faculty that I just really enjoyed working with bright young people. So I requested a case with teenagers.”
Black has been working on a case for 17 months, and in that time has seen two teenagers go from being withdrawn and failing classes to being placed in a home where they can thrive. Now, both children are earning top grades in school and are thriving.
“I truly don't think we would've seen this turnaround in these kids if not for her dedication to them,” said Melynda Jamison, CASA of Lexington Executive Director.
“When I first met them, they weren’t that communicative with me,” Black said of her CASA kids. “Part of it was I was a new person to them, but they were also in a terrible home situation. It took a lot of time and investigation to begin to figure out what was going on. But the best part is working with the children and getting to know them. These kids have really had so little materially and in terms of guidance and yet they’re so giving. I love getting to see these kids harness their spirits, grow, and thrive.”
For Black, the most important part of the job is writing her reports.
“It isn’t the bureaucratic part I like. What I really like is trying to make the children alive and vivid in the reports, so anyone reading it can get a sense of who these kids are and understand more than just the face value of their case. I want to make their lives meaningful to the judge.”
To anyone considering becoming a CASA volunteer, Black offers words of encouragement.
“Don’t be nervous or scared. Be open to learning a lot. Be open to not knowing enough. Be open to the children you’re assigned to, and what direction they are trying to go in. Follow that instead of picking out the direction you want to go. It’s about them.”