2 new CASA volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children In Montcalm County

The Daily News

STANTON — The Montcalm Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program held a swearing-in ceremony at Montcalm County Circuit Court in Stanton on Jan. 12. 

Two new CASA volunteers were sworn in by Montcalm County Probate Court Judge Charles W. Simon III. The new CASA volunteers added to the program are Kit Pull from Greenville and Becky West from Six Lakes. 

CASA Board members, volunteers, court staff and family members were in attendance to celebrate the honored guests and congratulate them in completing the 30-hour training program required to become a voice for abused and neglected children in Montcalm County. Dan Eagles, CASA Advisory Board president, provided an overview of the program and its history. Longstanding CASA volunteer Cathy Schermerhorn shared a poem titled, “We Are CASA.”

“We are looking forward to working with these new volunteers and we continue to be so grateful for the support we receive from agency partners and the community at large. Our main goal is collaboration and to help make sure our kids’ needs are identified, communicated, and met in the most effective ways possible” said CASA Program Director Jamie Gorby.

Volunteer Supervisor, Stephanie Barone added “Our volunteers are truly the backbone of this program. The work they have signed up to do is so important.” 

Montcalm CASA is a program of EightCAP, Inc. that provides trained volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in the Montcalm County Juvenile Court system. CASA volunteers are assigned to a child or sibling group and work to ensure that the children’s voices are represented in court proceedings. Volunteers speak on behalf of children at court hearings and stay on each assigned case until it is closed, and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. For many abused children, a CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult present in their lives during a very difficult time.

For more information about the Montcalm CASA program, contact Gorby at (989) 831-3561 or montcalmcasa@8cap.org.

See the article in the Daily News: https://www.thedailynews.cc/articles/2-new-casa-volunteers-to-advocate-for-abused-and-neglected-children-in-montcalm-county/