Lexington man chooses to do something about child abuse and neglect in his community
CASA Volunteer Michael Hale
Three years ago, Michael Hale read about the rising problem of child abuse and neglect. He couldn’t ignore what was happening.
“I felt like I needed to get involved,” he said.
And Michael knew how he wanted to get involved: He wanted to become a CASA volunteer.
Three years later, Michael has advocated for the best interests of eight abused or neglected children in central Kentucky. And he is now one of CASA of Lexington’s Volunteers of the Month for June.
“Michael has a calm and insightful way of working with families under stress that makes him ideal as an advocate for the best interests of kids,” said Dennis Stutsman, Michael’s Volunteer Manager. “I can always count on Michael to step up and handle whatever task the court – or family – gives us, including finding prom dresses for middle-school girls.”
As a CASA volunteer, Michael is matched with children in the family court system who have been abused or neglected. He visits the children every month, talks to adults in their lives and reviews records. Then, he compiles all the information he has gathered into a report for the judge on the case, providing a level of detail and understanding that would otherwise not be available.
“I’ve found it to be really the most challenging and rewarding experience that I’ve had,” Michael said. “It gets me out of the normal things I do. It keeps me on my toes and keeps me exploring new areas of serving.”
Dennis said Michael does an excellent job bridging cultural divides between the families he works with and the courts or service providers.
For Michael, CASA is not the only way he gives back by being a good listener. He also works with a local prayer ministry – something he said he is most proud of outside of his CASA service.
“That is really a fulfilling thing for me to be able to listen to people,” he said.
There are currently only enough CASA volunteers in CASA of Lexington’s seven-county service region to serve about one out of every five abused or neglected children. Michael said if someone is considering whether they could help fill the gap and advocate for a child, they should ask themselves if they have the ability to be empathetic.
“Do you think you can be of service to children going through some hard situations?” he asked. “And if you think you can be, know that CASA provides training for you to act on that desire to help.”