Jane Bennington Volunteers – and Travels – with CASA

CASA Volunteer Jane Bennington

Jane Bennington loves to travel. She has visited seven countries this year, bringing her grand total up to 36. Bennington also loves to mix her love of travel with another passion: caring for abused and neglected children.

Bennington is a CASA volunteer, who gives 5-10 hours a month advocating for children in the family court system. She also travels with CASA when the organization offers planned vacations through partner agencies.

“Traveling with CASA is great,” Bennington said. “My husband and I are going to Antarctica on the upcoming CASA trip in 2026.”

CASA trips are offered through Collette Travel and other partner businesses, who donate a portion of each package sold back to CASA of Lexington. Over the past several years, funding from these trips has covered the cost of giving 21 children a CASA volunteer for a year.

As one of those CASA volunteers, Bennington sees firsthand how they can change things for the children they serve.

“Nothing tugs at my heart more than a kid who’s in a bad spot through no fault of their own,” she said. “Being part of positive change for a kid is like nothing else.”

Bennington’s Volunteer Manager Kyrsten Adkins supports her on her cases.

“She is currently working multiple cases and has children in several different placements, but she continues to show up every month,” Adkins said. “She has built trust with four teen girls she is currently advocating for, and she regularly encourages them and gives them the support they have not had from other adults in their lives.”

Besides visiting with her matched CASA children, Bennington also gathers information about their lives from other people and records. She shares what she learns with the judge on the case so that the children’s needs can’t be overlooked and the case closes with a positive outcome as quickly as possible.

Bennington said if international travel isn’t your thing, you can still make a difference as a CASA volunteer.

“Please don’t hesitate to ask questions before you decide to become a volunteer,” she said. “And ask questions throughout your service as a CASA volunteer. I’ve been at this for 30 years and I still have to ask questions about certain things and use my Volunteer Manager as a sounding board.”

To learn more about CASA trips, visit www.casaoflexington.org/travel.