‘Direct and immediate impact:’ Lexmark employee uses team-building skills to help neglected children

Kathy Edwards has advocated for six children during two years as a CASA volunteer

CASA Volunteer Kathy Edwards

Kathy Edwards is the kind of person who understands the value of teamwork. She also likes it when she can make a real difference in the world.

So when Edwards learned from a close friend about just how bad the problem of child abuse and neglect is in Kentucky, she wanted to be part of a team working to make things better.

“Hearing about the sheer volume of neglect and abuse cases was staggering, and the caseload for social workers overwhelming,” she said.

Edwards already knew about the Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program because some of her co-workers were already volunteers through Lexmark’s Volunteer Time Off program. She signed up for CASA training and quickly learned just how effective the CASA program can be.

“As a CASA, I can focus on one case and one outcome. A 10-minute call to the school or doctor’s office can suddenly become the last piece of information needed to set a new course for child’s case,” she said. “More than any nonprofit I’ve been involved with, I know my time is making a direct and immediate impact on the lives of these kids.”

CASA volunteers like Edwards are matched with abused and neglected children in the family court system. Each volunteer visits their child monthly, talks with others in the child’s life, and writes reports that give everyone on the case the information they need to help the child.

“Developing relationships and building trust with the children in each case is critical to understanding their needs and knowing how best to advocate for them,” Edwards said. “The same can be said for establishing trust with social workers and attorneys. Getting good outcomes for kids is often a team effort.”

Edwards’ Volunteer Manager Rebecca Brereton-Farr said Edwards has been instrumental in uncovering information and finding ways to get better outcomes for the children on her current CASA case.

“I truly believe that the direction this case takes will be because of Kathy’s undivided attention to the best interests and needs of the children,” Brereton-Farr said. “She has been incredible to work with and her hard work deserves to be recognized.”

Edwards said she is amazed at how much of a difference she can make as a CASA volunteer.

“If people knew that could help a child return to a permanent, nurturing home faster just by being involved, most wouldn’t hesitate,” she said. “I cannot say enough about the CASA mission, its staff or the training I received! The reward is far greater than I ever expected.”

For more information about becoming a CASA volunteer, visit www.casaoflexington.org.