Organization earns prestigious ‘Service Enterprise’ designation from Points of Light 

Lexington, Ky (June 9, 2020) – Points of Light and Serve Kentucky, the state agency that manages programs and initiatives aimed at increasing the number of Kentuckians engaged in service and volunteering, recently certified CASA of Lexington as a “Service Enterprise.” CASA of Lexington is part of the very first Service Enterprise cohort that certified in Kentucky. 

This prestigious certification recognizes CASA of Lexington as a leading organization in volunteer engagement, leveraging its volunteers’ skills, talents, and resources strategically and thoughtfully at all levels of the organization. Organizations that certify join the top 11 percent of nonprofits nationwide in volunteer management and organizational performance. 

“CASA of Lexington relies on volunteers to provide our mission of advocating for child abuse and neglect victims. However, not everyone can volunteer in that role,” said Melynda Jamison, Executive Director. “Becoming a certified Service Enterprise helped us develop new ways for volunteers to serve in areas of expertise they may have outside of our traditional advocacy role and serve as a Friend of CASA, which will support our overall mission. We are excited to officially launch this new role of volunteering within our organization.” 

To achieve certification, CASA of Lexington completed an extensive assessment, training and coaching to better integrate volunteers into their organization. Research conducted by the TCC Group, a national program and evaluation firm, found that organizations operating as Service Enterprises outperform peer organizations on all aspects of organizational effectiveness, and are more adaptable, sustainable and capable of scaling their work. 

The Service Enterprise Initiative is a national change management program that helps organizations gain a greater return on volunteer investment to better achieve their mission. For further information regarding the Service Enterprise Initiative and Serve Kentucky, visit https://serve.ky.gov/volunteers/Pages/capacity.aspx.  

About CASA of Lexington 

CASA of Lexington’s trained and supervised volunteers advocate through the family court systems in Fayette, Bourbon and Woodford counties to ensure all victims of child abuse and neglect are safe and thrive in a permanent home. We are adding Scott County to our coverage area in 2020. Changes such as where the child lives or goes to school, changes in social workers, teachers and friends, as well as the uncertainty of what life holds, can be very overwhelming for these children.  The CASA volunteer is there to help recognize what the child needs, work to minimize these detrimental changes, and advocate for positive changes for the child’s future. Learn more or let us know you’re interested in volunteering at casaoflexington.org/volunteer or by calling (859) 246-4313.

A relatively new volunteer and a veteran volunteer with more than six years of service have been chosen as our Volunteers of the Month for June.

Debbie Schumacher

Debbie Schumacher is still in her first year of service as a Court-Appointed Special Advocate in Woodford County. But she has already made a significant impact for children in the Woodford family court system.

CASA volunteers are appointed by judges in order to provide an outside perspective on what children involved in family court cases need. They often identify gaps in services and recommend changes to help improve children’s lives.

Debbie’s volunteer manager Jeanne Box said Debbie works quickly to meet with medical providers, teachers, counselors and others, in order to give the judge a good sense of each child’s needs.

Debbie said she is one of four or five members of St. Andrews Anglican Church who have become CASA volunteers since Box introduced them to the program.

“I really like getting to know the children that I’m involved with, as well as the parents,” Debbie said.

Her cases have so far not involved any extreme instances of abuse or neglect, as some CASA cases do. But Debbie said she’s been happy to discover that she can make a big difference for children regardless of their situation.

“I think it just points to how CASA is involved in a whole range of different cases,” she said. “It has been really rewarding. It’s really important that the kids have someone they know who can really speak for them.”

Judy Papania

Judy Papania was also named a Volunteer of the Month for CASA of Lexington. Judy has been speaking for CASA children in Fayette County for more than six years, and during that time, she has worked some difficult cases involving abuse and neglect.

“It is something that can be emotionally draining. But it is rewarding at the same time,” Judy said. “It’s nice to see children be in a better place and thrive — to know that people care about them and they’re not alone. That’s rewarding. It’s also made me new friends.”

Judy said there are CASA staff members she has befriended, as well as foster parents from previous cases who are still her friends today. And she is still a part of the families of some former CASA kids to whom she was assigned.

“I have children that have been adopted that I’m still in touch with from way back,” she said.

Judy’s six years of service make her one of CASA of Lexington’s most experienced volunteers. CASA asks every volunteer to commit to at least two years of service, in order to ensure each child who gets a CASA volunteer can keep that same volunteer throughout their case.

Many CASA children have been removed from their homes of origin. They deal with a lot of confusion, fear and trauma. Their CASA volunteer is a familiar, friendly face that can help provide them with stability and hope.

“Judy is a fantastic volunteer who works tirelessly to ensure each child’s individual needs are met,” said Cara McLeod, Judy’s volunteer manager. “She is a consistent figure in her CASA kids’ lives in the midst of difficult times. She is understanding, compassionate and empathetic with the families she serves."

CASA of Lexington’s next volunteer training begins July 6 and lasts through Aug. 13. The trainings are being held in a guided learning format through online meetings in order to comply with current safety guidelines regarding in-person gatherings.

CASA volunteers are assigned to help abused and neglected children whose cases are moving through the family court systems in Fayette, Bourbon, Woodford and Scott counties. Unlike anyone else involved in their case, a CASA advocate’s only objective is looking out for the best interests of the children.

On average, children with an appointed CASA advocate see their cases resolved sooner, find safe and permanent homes faster, and are less likely to re-enter the family court system later on.

CASA of Lexington served more than 600 children in 2019. Unfortunately, that represents less than half of all the new cases of abuse and neglect filed that year.

By becoming a CASA advocate, you can step into this gap and help. You will not only befriend a child sorely in need of a positive adult role model, but you will help ensure that child can have a safe, happy childhood.

After an initial 30 hours of training, each CASA advocate is sworn in by a judge and observes in family court before receiving their first case. CASA advocates are expected to spend between 6 and 10 hours a month working on their case, and they are required to earn 12 hours of continuing education credits each year.

Each CASA advocate is asked to serve for at least two years, in order to ensure children don’t have to change CASA advocates during their case. The average CASA case lasts 18 months.

If you would like to apply to be a CASA advocate, now is a great time. You can apply online at casaoflexington.org/advocates. Once you’ve applied and passed an initial screening and background check, you can sign up for CASA of Lexington’s summer pre-service training. The schedule for the training follows:

July 6 — Initial meeting and getting to know you

July 9 — Overview and intro to foundational coursework

July 16 — The Bleux Case and child development

July 23 — The Greene Case, mental health and poverty

July 30 — The Amarillo Case, substance abuse, domestic violence and intro to the court report

Aug. 6 — The Redd Case, court report writing and recommendations

Aug. 13 — The court process, final wrap-up

Supporters gave CASA of Lexington a total of $3,540 during Giving Tuesday Now and KYGives Day 2020.

The amount raised is more than five times larger than the amount raised last year.

The support is helping the nonprofit agency that advocates for abused and neglected children cover some of the fundraising losses it has realized due to the coronavirus pandemic.

More than half of those who gave did so on KYGives Day on May 12, 2020. Almost $1,900 was raised on that day alone, and the average donation was $93. CASA of Lexington was among the top 25% of nonprofits in terms of how much supporters gave on the actual KYGives Day — it placed 58th in the state out of almost 250 participating organizations.

This year, KYGives Day encouraged its participating nonprofits to kick things off a week early, on the international Giving Tuesday Now event. During the full week the campaign lasted, supporters gave $3,540 to CASA of Lexington, with an average donation of $107.

These donations will help ensure CASA is able to continue providing volunteer advocates right now for children involved in neglect and abuse cases in family court, and that the organization is better prepared for an expected influx of reported child abuse cases once pandemic restrictions are lifted.

If you would also like to support CASA of Lexington, you can do so by visiting bit.ly/give-casalex.

CASA of Lexington has partnered with National CASA to provide some national training webinars to our CASA volunteers. These trainings all count toward your annual continuing education hours.

Current volunteers can receive the webinar materials and a link to the recorded webinar by emailing bkleppinger@casaoflexington.org. National CASA will provide a certificate of completion for each webinar, which you can provide to CASA of Lexington when reporting your continuing education hours.

Available webinars include:

Substance Abuse as a Disorder: Part I

Substance Abuse as a Disorder: Part II

Substance Abuse as a Disorder: Part III (Coming in June)

Substance Abuse as a Disorder: Part IV (Coming later in 2020)

Advocating for Indian Children

How to be Resilient in a Pandemic

How Do We Manage Secondary Trauma, Burnout and Compassion Fatigue?

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (April 20, 2020) — CASA of Lexington’s Volunteers of the Month for May 2020 are William Saunders and Gail Tingle.

William Saunders

William Saunders is the kind of person who can connect with any kid, anywhere.

“He tailors his approach to each child, depending on age and need,” said Mary Beth, William’s volunteer manager at CASA of Lexington. “I’ve seen him play trucks on the floor with a developmentally delayed child, and I’ve seen him turn the tables on a shy, quiet teenager, allowing her to ask questions of him.”

That ability to meet kids where they’re at and help them is why CASA of Lexington chose William as one of its Volunteers of the Month for May 2020.

As a court-appointed special advocate volunteer, William is assigned to the cases of abused and neglected children in the Fayette County family court system. He spends time each month with his assigned child or children; interviews family members, foster parents and other adults involved with the children; then files a report for a judge to read before each court appearance.

“My love of volunteering with CASA is because it reaches out to all families in need, regardless of race, financial situation or the parents’ political affiliation,” William said. “It takes a village to raise a child. I’m just one of those people that’s going to help take care of that child."

William has been an advocate with CASA of Lexington since May 2019. He is one of fewer than two dozen male CASA volunteers for CASA of Lexington.

The low number of male volunteers is something the organization is actively working to change.

“It is wonderful to provide a child with a CASA volunteer they automatically have things in common with,” explained Melynda Jamison, CASA’s executive director. "Around half of our children are boys. Many have never had a positive male influence in their lives. Unfortunately, only 7% of our volunteers are male.”

William has also advocated on behalf of CASA in Frankfort and he has many connections to underserved populations in Fayette County, Mary Beth said. Most importantly, he is there for the kids he is assigned.

“He takes note of what is important to each child and then makes the effort to show up,” she said. “He attends their dance competitions and joins them for lunch at school.”

William said working with his CASA kids is very rewarding and fulfilling. He feels it’s his duty to give back to his community, and this is a way he accomplishes that.

“I know sometimes we have such a vast amount of kids out there that can fall through the cracks,” he said. “Let me speak personally to the African-American community. There’s some big gaps and things that go on in our community, such as financial gaps, educational gaps …”

Helping kids through CASA is one way he helps address those gaps. And he loves bumping into kids he used to have on a case later on, who still remember him.

“That’s fulfilling to me,” he said. “So I guess I’ll be a CASA volunteer until they tell me I can’t do it anymore."

Gail Tingle

Gail Tingle has been also been named one of CASA of Lexington's Volunteers of the Month for May.

Tingle has been a CASA volunteer for more than three years, during which time she’s been assigned to six different cases in Fayette County.

Her current case is expected to close soon and she has agreed to accept a seventh this month.

Her volunteer manager, Dennis Stutsman, said Gail, a former court mediator for divorce, shows dedication and patience while working on behalf of abused and neglected kids.

“Her current case involves two young children who faced removal because of insufficient parental supervision, which resulted in physical abuse” by another adult, according to Stutsman. “Gail has been very patient working on her case, and she works thoughtfully with collateral sources, including relatives and foster parents. She has been very active in seeking referrals and supportive services to meet the family’s needs, and she works great with bio parents, too.”

Gail said she discovered CASA when she was looking for a way to volunteer that would help children in her community. Her two most recent cases resolved or are resolving with the children being reunited with a biological parent.

“That’s a great feeling to have these children going back to be with their mother,” Gail said. “One case where the child did have to be removed — I was glad because the child was not in a good situation at all."

Gail said it makes her feel good to know that the reports she submits to the judge have helped her cases reach successful resolutions.

“All my experiences have been learning experiences,” she said of her time as a CASA. “Each case just presents a while new venue for me to learn about.”

About CASA of Lexington

CASA of Lexington’s trained and supervised volunteers advocate through the family court system to ensure all victims of child abuse and neglect are safe and thrive in a permanent home. Changes such as where the child lives or goes to school, changes in social workers, teachers and friends, as well as the uncertainty of what life holds, can be very overwhelming for these children.  The CASA volunteer is there to help recognize what the child needs, work to minimize these detrimental changes, and advocate for positive changes for the child’s future. Learn more or let us know you’re interested in volunteering at casaoflexington.org or by calling (859) 246-4313.

TL;DR — You can join the #KYGives20 movement on or before May 12 by giving to CASA of Lexington, to help us provide court-appointed special advocates to abused and neglected children in the family court system.

When Sadie was assigned her court-appointed special advocate, she had already been through a lot. The 8-year-old had no stable family member who was willing to care for her. As a result, she was forced to find shelter with anyone who would take her.

(Sadie’s name and details about her have been changed to protect her identity)

Sadie frequently moved from place to place and school to school, somehow remaining unnoticed by social services and other caring adults. But when her situation was finally recognized and a court case was opened, the judge appointed CASA of Lexington — and Sadie gained one of the first stable, positive adult influences in her life.

There are hundreds of children like Sadie in the family court systems of Fayette, Bourbon and Woodford counties — there were 1,346 petitions for child abuse or neglect in 2019 alone. Fortunately, CASA of Lexington’s trained volunteers were there to help more than 600 children on their paths back toward safe, happy and permanent homes.

These kinds of nonprofit success stories are what KYGivesDay is all about. Set for May 12, 2020, #KYGives20 is the culmination of a statewide movement to support nonprofits and all the invaluable services they provide to their communities. Nonprofit work like CASA’s is often done quietly and behind-the-scenes, but it is essential to the whole community’s success.

When we can give a child a happy childhood, we also give her a happier adulthood. She is more likely to do well in school, more likely to go to college or find a good job, more likely to break the cycle of abuse and show love to children in her own life.

CASA of Lexington is already helping so many kids. But unfortunately, Kentucky is No. 1 in the nation for child abuse. There are hundreds more children just in our service area that need a CASA volunteer. You can help meet that need by giving to CASA of Lexington for #KYGives20, or by becoming a volunteer yourself.

You can give at a suggested donation level or whatever amount you’re comfortable with at bit.ly/casakygives20. Your donation is tax-deductible, and when you donate, we’ll loop you in on CASA of Lexington news and volunteering opportunities.

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SO YOU KNOW: Being a CASA volunteer is a serious commitment, but it can also be seriously rewarding. After an initial 30-hour pre-service training, new volunteers are sworn in by a judge and assigned the case of a child or children in the family court system. Volunteers spend 6-10 hours a month visiting with their child or children, interviewing adults connected with the child and writing reports for the judge. We ask all volunteers to commit to two years of service to ensure CASA children won’t have to change volunteers partway through their cases. Learn more and fill out an initial application at casaoflexington.org/volunteer.

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (April 20, 2020) — CASA of Lexington’s Volunteers of the Month for April 2020 are Judy Horne and Kim Skidmore.

Judy Horne

Judy and her husband, Mike, have been CASA volunteers since February 2018. They work on cases in Bourbon County.

Judy’s current volunteer manager, Beka Schwartz, said she is an incredible volunteer who truly puts her heart and soul into helping the children on her cases.

“She had a case close that she worked for nearly two years with her husband,” Schwartz said. “In that case, they helped two parents who had hit rock bottom maintain sobriety, regain housing, maintain employment and find a support system.”

The children in that case were able to return home where they could live safe and happy lives — fulfilling the primary goal of CASA’s work.

On her current case, Judy has fought tirelessly for the best interests of a little girl, even when that has resulted in some tough decisions.

“Judy continued to push to move the little girl to a parent’s home. Even though the little girl stopped talking to her, Judy didn’t give up,” Schwartz said. “Now, she is excelling in school and in her home life. Judy has never given up on her tough cases and continues to serve CASA with her whole heart.”

Judy said she heard about CASA through her church.

“I think the thing that is most rewarding about it is how people become family to you that you didn’t know before,” she said. “I think that’s it — the relationships and the fact that you make a difference in people’s lives.”

Judy said serving as a CASA volunteer is time-consuming but rewarding work.

“It’s wonderful and it’s rewarding,” she said. “You do spend more time than you ever think you would."

Kim Skidmore

Kim Skidmore has been a CASA volunteer in Fayette County since May 2018.

“She often goes above and beyond for her cases,” said Cara Macleod, Kim’s volunteer manager. “She meets with teachers, therapists and other interested parties to gather information about the parents and the children.”

While CASA volunteers usually only take on one case at a time, Skidmore has accepted three cases at the same time. That’s because while she was working on two cases, one of her old cases re-opened and a judge asked for a CASA Volunteer.

“When seeking a volunteer, she was willing to say yes to this third case,” Macleod said. “She has many abilities, but I find her greatest asset to be her ability to work with so many different individuals on a case.”

Kim said as a preschool director, she has made calls to social services before, but being a CASA volunteer gave her a fresh perspective.

“It was just interesting to see how the kids had no voice. Who was speaking for the kid? And who asked for things to be done for the child?” she said.

Serving a CASA volunteer, she’s been able to “connect the dots” and help get kids services they need. She’s also been able to speed up case resolutions, getting kids back into safe, permanent homes faster.

“That’s why I love doing it,” she said. “If you love kids and you enjoy doing something that is rewarding and helpful, it is the best thing that you could do."

About CASA of Lexington

CASA of Lexington’s trained and supervised volunteers advocate through the family court system to ensure all victims of child abuse and neglect are safe and thrive in a permanent home. Changes such as where the child lives or goes to school, changes in social workers, teachers and friends, as well as the uncertainty of what life holds, can be very overwhelming for these children.  The CASA volunteer is there to help recognize what the child needs, work to minimize these detrimental changes, and advocate for positive changes for the child’s future. Learn more or let us know you’re interested in volunteering at casaoflexington.org or by calling (859) 246-4313.

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (April 23, 2020) — CASA of Lexington was featured on LEX 18 at Sunrise this morning. Reporter Claire Kopsky detailed the need for more CASA volunteers in anticipation of a spike in reported child abuse and neglect cases after the current pandemic restrictions are lifted.

You can watch the video here or visit LEX18.com:

You can sign up to volunteer and learn about other ways to support CASA of Lexington during the current pandemic at casaoflexington.org/covid19.

About CASA of Lexington

CASA of Lexington’s trained and supervised volunteers advocate through the family court system to ensure all victims of child abuse and neglect are safe and thrive in a permanent home. Changes such as where the child lives or goes to school, changes in social workers, teachers and friends, as well as the uncertainty of what life holds, can be very overwhelming for these children.  The CASA volunteer is there to help recognize what the child needs, work to minimize these detrimental changes, and advocate for positive changes for the child’s future.

For more information, contact Ben Kleppinger, community engagement coordinator, at bkleppinger@casaoflexington.org or (859) 200-7266.

Nonprofit needs more volunteers to speak for abused and neglected children

Online: casaoflexington.org/covid19

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (April 22, 2020) — Life has shut down in many ways during the COVID-19 pandemic, but CASA of Lexington is gearing up for a possible spike in reported cases of child abuse and neglect after restrictions are lifted.

“I do have concerns that there are children out there and probably many cases that have not been reported and so maybe the children are not receiving services that they should,” said Melynda Jamison, executive director. "I expect that when children are back in schools, hopefully come August, that we will see a significant increase."

With school out for the rest of the year, some children who already lived in homes where they were at risk of abuse or neglect are now spending all their time in those homes. In other homes, job losses, tight living spaces and the stress of living through a pandemic increases the risk for abusive or neglectful behavior by caretakers.

People in the homes where abused or neglected children live often are not the ones to report neglect or abuse; it’s not until more eyes are on a child at school that suspected abuse or neglect can be identified.

"Here at CASA of Lexington, we’re working to be prepared for that and ready to tackle that challenge,” Jamison said. "It’s going to be more important than ever that we have CASA volunteers ready to step into those cases and take them.”

CASA of Lexington has launched a COVID-19 response page on its website at casaoflexington.org/covid19, which helps anyone find a way they can help. New CASA volunteers can now sign up to take their initial 30-hour training online, and an application to begin the process is available on the website.

Supporters who cannot commit to being a CASA volunteer right now can still donate to CASA of Lexington, which has seen its recent fundraising efforts impacted by the cancellation or rescheduling of several major events. Anyone can also sign up to be a Friend of CASA and give of their time and skills in other ways than being a CASA volunteer.

About CASA of Lexington

CASA of Lexington’s trained and supervised volunteers advocate through the family court system to ensure all victims of child abuse and neglect are safe and thrive in a permanent home. Changes such as where the child lives or goes to school, changes in social workers, teachers and friends, as well as the uncertainty of what life holds, can be very overwhelming for these children.  The CASA volunteer is there to help recognize what the child needs, work to minimize these detrimental changes, and advocate for positive changes for the child’s future.

For more information, contact Ben Kleppinger, community engagement coordinator, at bkleppinger@casaoflexington.org or (859) 200-7266.

All proceeds from virtual fun run on April 18 benefit CASA of Lexington

(April 10, 2020) CASA of Lexington is challenging runners, walkers and anyone who just wants to get some exercise while staying healthy at home to help log a mile for every local child who was abused or neglected last year.

A "virtual fun run" — organized by John's Run/Walk Shop and benefiting CASA — is being held on Saturday, April 18. We hope to get enough people participating to collectively walk and run 1,346 miles — one mile for every new petition of child abuse and neglect in Fayette, Bourbon and Woodford counties in 2019.

Participating in the fun run is easy. You can register for free or for a donation amount of your choice by visiting johnsrunwalkshop.com, clicking on "Keep Moving Forward" and choosing the April 18 date for CASA's fun run. Or click here to visit the registration page directly.

When you log your miles, let us know on Twitter (@CASAofLexington), Facebook (@lexingtoncasa) or Instagram (@casaoflexington), so we can celebrate and all run/walk together online.

"For these runs, there won't be any shirts, there won't be any medals, and the only way we can support you is in spirit," John's Run/Walk Shop explains. "Instead, 100% of the proceeds from these runs will be going to local charities. Additionally, with the future looking uncertain for so many people, the cost of participating in these runs is entirely up to you."

You won't be running or walking alone: CASA volunteers, staff and board members have been invited to participate. And even CASA's certified service dog Matilda plans to log miles from her morning and afternoon walks.

We may not be able to come together physically right now to support CASA's mission of ensuring all victims of child abuse and neglect are safe and thrive in a permanent home. But there's also something powerful about hundreds or even thousands of people around Kentucky and beyond coming together virtually while each doing their own small part from home. We hope you'll join us and run or walk for the kids on April 18.

You can register for the virtual fun run here: https://www.runsignup.com/Race/KY/Lexington/KeepMovingForwardforCASAofLexington

About CASA of Lexington

CASA of Lexington’s trained and supervised volunteers advocate through the family court system to ensure all victims of child abuse and neglect are safe and thrive in a permanent home. Changes such as where the child lives or goes to school, changes in social workers, teachers and friends, as well as the uncertainty of what life holds, can be very overwhelming for these children. The CASA volunteer is there to help recognize what the child needs, work to minimize these detrimental changes, and advocate for positive changes for the child’s future. For more information on CASA of Lexington, to volunteer or make a donation visit the website at www.casaoflexington.org.