Asbury Theological Seminary Student Earns CASA Volunteer of the Month Honor
CASA Volunteer Julie Turner
An Asbury Theological Seminary student has been named a CASA Volunteer of the Month for her hard work advocating on behalf of abused and neglected children.
Julie Turner has been a CASA Volunteer for about a year and a half and has advocated for two children in the family court system during that time.
“I was looking for some way to give back, some way to help children who are disadvantaged in some way,” Turner said. “Serving as a CASA volunteer has been exciting, challenging and fun.”
CASA volunteers give 5-10 hours of their time each month to help children who have suffered abuse or neglect. Each volunteer visits their child once a month, often getting to know the child’s situation better than anyone else on the case. The information a volunteer gathers can be vital to ensuring a child gets the services they need and can return to a safe, permanent home as quickly as possible.
Turner said one thing that attracted her to CASA when she was looking for a volunteer opportunity was how CASA volunteers are supported by Volunteer Managers — paid staff who know the ins and outs of the system and guide the volunteers every step of the way.
“I was looking for something where I wasn’t the sole person responsible,” explained Turner, who makes time for volunteering in addition to her classes at Asbury. “I wanted backup. My Volunteer Manager Jennifer has been excellent at that. She is my sounding board. She helps me figure out the right words for my reports or what to say in court. And she finds out answers to things when neither of us know.”
Turner’s Volunteer Manager Jennifer Lamb nominated her for the Volunteer of the Month honor.
“Julie has advocated for trauma-focused therapy, as well as medical and educational follow-ups for her CASA children,” Lamb said. “She has built great connections with the children and very attentive in her interactions with them. The children Julie serves truly need the calming presence she provides.”
CASA volunteers complete a 30-hour training class before being matched with a child. Anyone interested in becoming a CASA volunteer has several training class options coming up. All upcoming CASA volunteer training schedules can be found at www.casaoflexington.org/training.
“I would invite people to look into becoming a CASA volunteer and discover what it’s all about,” Turner said. “It’s one of the hardest things you will do, but also one of the most rewarding and stimulating.”