16 new CASA volunteers sworn in as officers of the court

September 14, 2021 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) – CASA is pleased to announce that sixteen new volunteers were sworn in as officers of the court by 4th Judicial District Judge William Bain during a swearing-in ceremony at the El Paso County Courthouse on Tuesday.

The swearing-in ceremony was the final step taken by these community members after 30 hours of training which covered topics like trauma, resiliency, poverty, mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, and the role of the CASA volunteer.

Now, as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs), these volunteers will be appointed to open Dependency & Neglect cases by a judge so that they may speak up for abused or neglected children and ensure that each child’s best interest remains front and center during court proceedings. These volunteers will be a steady and trusted presence for children who, due to no fault of their own, must navigate the child welfare system.

Congratulations new CASA Volunteers Valerie Amrstorn-Lee, Colleen Blecher, Neecha Brown, Leonie Cramer, Mark Davis, Amber Hudson, Kimberly Lee, Sonia Lemke, Gina Matty, Timothy Miller, Jeffrey Moore-Magoon, Richele Orozco, Rachel Smitherman, Jarrod Stern, Steven Warren, and Grace Yenne.

On any given day, there are about 600 children living in foster care or in another form of out-of-home placement in El Paso County. Many of these children need a CASA volunteer to advocate for their best interest, and CASA is actively recruiting new volunteers to fill these roles. Anyone who is interested in learning more about becoming a CASA volunteer should attend an upcoming Volunteer Information Session. The next available sessions are:

• Oct. 6 from 6-7:30 PM: “Dudes & Brews” Male Recruitment Event at The Garden
• Oct. 12 from 12-1 PM: Volunteer Information Session in-person at the CASA Office
• Oct. 25 from 11 AM – 12 PM: Virtual Volunteer Information Session over Zoom

To RSVP for any of these sessions, please click here.