According to Dallas CASA volunteer Abbigail Best,
“My journey to becoming a Dallas CASA volunteer might be a little different than others. As a child, I had an abusive family member, and my siblings and I found ourselves not safe and scared. I remember the abuse, interviews with Child Protective Services and meetings with attorneys and judges during our case. It took a lot to get out of that tumultuous childhood to where I am today.
“When a co-worker mentioned her work as a CASA volunteer, I was immediately drawn to join her. I started training right away and am now more than two years into my journey, working my third case with no plans to slow down.
“Every day, Dallas County children come into protective care due to neglect or abuse, and volunteers are always needed to serve these children. I invite you to join me and become a Dallas CASA volunteer advocate.
“The first step is to attend an information session to learn more about the role. Next, you’ll complete an application, be personally interviewed and a background check will be done. Training takes 30 hours over a four-week period, then you will be sworn in by the court and assigned a staff supervisor and your first case.
“My past, like that of so many of the children we serve, will forever be my story and shape me for the rest of my life, but it does not have to be all I am or something I will never heal from. That’s also true for every child Dallas CASA serves. They are more than their pasts and more than their abuse. They want to look forward to where they’re going, not backward to where they’ve been.
“Being an advocate is not always easy work, but I have found it comes back tenfold. I feel tremendously grateful to be able to do what I do and give back to this community.
“Volunteering with Dallas CASA has been healing for me. I wanted to do something greater than myself and make my story have a positive ending. Not all of the system is broken, and children do have voices.”
* Graphic/photo provided by Dallas CASA
