Evelyn Mitchell has helped two dozen children over more than a decade as a CASA volunteer

CASA Volunteer of the Month Evelyn Mitchell

Evelyn Mitchell has spent more than a decade building bonds with children in need and giving them brighter futures.

Most people cannot do anything directly for children in family court who have suffered abuse or neglect. But as a CASA volunteer, Mitchell has been able to help two dozen children of all ages since 2014.

“I look out and I see these children, and I bond with them. With some of them, I bond really close,” Mitchell said. “You make memories with some of these children that you’ll never forget. And many of them will never forget you, as well.”

CASA volunteers are regular people who get matched with children in family court. Each volunteer visits their matched child monthly, learns about their life, and provide the judge on their case with a lot of information they couldn’t otherwise know.

“The court system needs our input. They need our eyes,” Mitchell said. “We are the only ones who are going to speak up for these children and make sure the judge is actually aware of what is happening.”

Mitchell’s Volunteer Manager Kyrsten Adkins said she is currently working a challenging case. Different parties on the case have different opinions on what should happen, “but she has remained committed to simply being the voice of the children she serves.”

“She diligently listens to what the children are telling her and isn’t afraid to speak up for them in court,” Adkins said. “She is a strong advocate for them.”

Mitchell is a CASA Volunteer of the Month for CASA of Lexington’s seven-county region in December because of her years of dedicated work.

“It’s just the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Mitchell said. “I am so hooked on CASA, I don’t think I could ever leave.”

Mitchell said because there are so many children with open family court cases, there is a great need for more people to become CASA volunteers like her. There’s an initial 30-hour training class that can be taken in-person or online, and then volunteers give about 5-10 hours a month for at least two years.

“If you have any free time, please get out of your chair and volunteer,” Mitchell said. “You are needed. These children need us. And I promise you — you won’t regret it.”