When she’s not getting her steps, Jan Colbert is changing kids’ lives as a CASA volunteer
CASA Volunteer Jan Colbert
Jan Colbert might be a little too good at getting her steps. She uses a pedometer — not to encourage more walking, but to know when she’s hit her limit.
“I have two dogs and we go on very, very, very long walks,” Jan said, laughing. “I have to keep it down to 10,000 steps.”
Jan, a retired accounting professor, said after a career tied to computers and finance, she has found she can’t get enough of getting out in nature. Another thing she can’t get enough of? Serving as a CASA volunteer.
“It really makes a difference,” she said.
Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers are ordinary people who are matched with abused and neglected children in the family court system. A CASA volunteer like Jan visits her child monthly, talks to adults in the child’s life, reviews records, and writes reports for the judge on the case. In all, it takes about 5 to 10 hours a month.
For the past two years, Jan has been the CASA volunteer for two young siblings. During her time on the case, the siblings have changed placements nine times — but Jan has been a consistent, positive presence for them wherever they go.
“It’s just a joy to go see them,” Jan said, explaining one time she went to see them while they were at school and she saw the older one in gym class. “He saw me through the window and he came running over to me — he was so joyous!”
Because of Jan’s hard work for her CASA children, she has been named a CASA Volunteer of the Month for November 2023.
“Jan is the most consistent person on her CASA kids’ case. She knows all of the history and maintains consistent contact with all the parties,” said Kyrsten Adkins, Jan’s Volunteer Manager. “She has followed her kids across the state as they have been moved nine times since coming into foster care. She has also helped us recruit new volunteers and spread awareness in the community!”
Jan said she thinks more people should explore becoming CASA volunteers.
“It really is the most impactful volunteering I can do and I just think it’s so rewarding,” she said.