CASA Volunteers of the Month for May: Martha Thompson and Betsy Paulding

CASA of Lexington named Betsy Paulding and Martha Thompson Volunteers of the Month for May 2022. The volunteers earned their awards for the work they are doing advocating on behalf of abused and neglected children.

Thompson has had the same CASA case for about five a half years — much longer than a typical case runs.

“Martha has been a steady, consistent advocate,” said Dennis Stutsman, her Volunteer Manager. “While a five-plus-year engagement is not easy for any CASA, she has regularly driven out-of-state and around the state just to maintain the engagement needed to advocate for a safe and successful future for her CASA child.”

Thompson said she learned about CASA when she interviewed someone else for a job with her company before she retired.

“I was interviewing a potential applicant and they had CASA on their resume,” she said. “We hired him because that was what I was looking for in people. Our organization was all about helping people, so I looked for people who were drawn to that.”

Thompson said it takes dedication to make things better to serve as a CASA volunteer.

“It takes a lot of love — a lot of desire to help, and love,” she said. “A desire to help others is the main thing.”

Paulding is a CASA volunteer in Bourbon County, who has advocated for six children during more than 3 years of service. She knew about Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs because her sister had served as a CASA volunteer in the Washington, D.C., area. Then one day, she saw a news article in the Bourbon County Citizen that a CASA program had launched in Bourbon County.

Paulding said her favorite memories of serving as a CASA volunteer include meeting with one child at a playground during the height of the pandemic and playing on separate equipment while they talked; and of attending a child’s adoption ceremony.

“I think you have to be convinced that what you’re going is for the good of the children,” she said. “And I think you have to really be able to pay attention to detail.”

Gudrun Allen, Paulding’s Volunteer Manager, said she has shown great flexibility as the circumstances of the children she advocates for has changed.

“Betsy has been instrumental in make sure one of the children received assessments that got them glasses,” Allen said. “I am thankful for her persistence and attention to detail.”