UK Professor Making a Difference for Kids in Need as CASA Volunteer
When Kevin Eby changed jobs and discovered he had more free time on his hands, several of his friends encouraged him to become a CASA volunteer.
"I didn't even know what CASA kids were," Eby said. "I just assumed it was something to do with Spanish. I hadn't investigated it at all."
At CASA of Lexington, Eby found a community of people like him, who want to create real, positive change in the world by giving children better childhoods.
Eby, a UK professor who also works with the Fatherhood Foundation, went through the CASA training, took a case and was hooked.
Eby's Volunteer Manager, Liz Noffsinger, said Eby is an "exemplary advocate" who has taken on a tough case and helped transform a child's life. Because of his work, he has been named a CASA Volunteer of the Month for November 2022.
Eby said serving as a CASA volunteer is rewarding, but "I will enjoy it the most when I'm able to see my child get a home."
CASA volunteers typically take one case at a time, advocating for the best interests of an abused or neglected child in the family court system. Kids with CASA volunteers have more hope for the future, get more services they need to thrive and are far less likely to re-enter the system after their cases close.
Kentucky's child abuse and neglect statistics are among the worst in the nation, which is one reason Eby said he volunteers with CASA — and a reason he thinks others should, too.
"Talk to a CASA volunteer and try it. It's worth it," he said. "The need will always be there. The numbers are pretty amazing."