How Sherry Hoffman prioritizes the kids of Teller County

Sherry Hoffman has always loved working with children.

When she was child, her parents welcomed foster children into their home. She continued to be a stable presence in the life of children as an adult when she became a Therapeutic Crisis Intervention teacher for a residential treatment center. When that chapter was over, she looked for another way to meet the needs of vulnerable kids and what she found was CASA.

As a volunteer advocate for CASA of the Pikes Peak Region in Teller County, Sherry was sworn in during 2020 and has worked two cases that originated out of the Teller County Courthouse in Cripple Creek. Both of her cases have seen the children placed at times in Colorado Springs, but Sherry has been happy to drive from her home in Woodland Park to fill this role which she knows to be invaluable.

“I just really missed working with kids,” she said. “We have a big family here at the house, but this is different. There are always kids with needs. I just like being in that mix… being there for somebody with needs whether it’s abuse or neglect. They just need someone they can trust.”

Sherry became that person to trust for the four children on her first CASA case. She played a pivotal role in helping the children’s mother get her life on track. Now all four children are living with their mom in another state, which is a move Sherry advocated for.

For Sherry’s second case, which she is currently working, the dynamics are quite different. While the children are thriving in a kin placement, Sherry utilizes all the resources she can find to help this family get on a positive path forward. She has shopped at CASA’s Santa Shop, visited the Hanger, been to the Kids’ Closet, and even directed the family to CASA’s Resource Page where they have been able to find additional support.

In addition to her CASA work, Sherry works fulltime as an HR Manager. She and her husband have five children who are involved with activities ranging from aerial acrobatics to soccer. When people ask her about CASA, she makes sure to stress that fact that it IS possible to fit it into your schedule.

“What they need to know is that it’s doable and it makes such a huge difference in a child’s life,” she said. “You can’t beat that.”

Sherry is so good at spreading the word that her husband is now in training to become an advocate himself.

“He’s really great with older kids and I think he knows that he could be a really good positive influence for them,” she said.

Curious about fitting CASA volunteer work into your own busy schedule? Check out our upcoming training dates here.