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Howard Hughes Found a Meaningful Volunteer Role as a CASA Advocate

Professor. Downhill skier. Globetrotter. Father and grandfather. Sailor. In 2020, Howard Hughes added to this impressive list when he made the decision to venture out of his comfort zone (something he’s fond of doing) and become a CASA volunteer advocate. Howard enjoys children so as he neared retirement he took his sister’s suggestion (a former CASA herself) and began looking into Court Appointed Special Advocates of New Hampshire.

Howard is now on his third case with CASA and the longtime educator is continually learning, a favorite hobby of his. At the start of his first case with a seven-year-old, Howard says he felt slightly “amnesic” about what a second-grader would be interested in. But his focus on interacting with children at their level is the important part; he can discover their interests and favorite activities along the way.

Howard has found that the role of a CASA can sometimes be challenging, but he has learned to use lots of persistence and some creativity to get around obstacles. He once texted a photo of himself to a parent with a message that Howard’s only job was to look out for the child. Howard reports this finally helped the parent feel comfortable to connect with him, as he could see that Howard was a kind person who was there to help.

Once, when trying to get two adversarial parents to work together for their child’s sake, Howard illustrated his point with a sports reference. “I told them that I was getting them all the same color t-shirt, so that we remember we’re on the same team. When sharing custody, the one thing you have together is your little girl. So let’s try to be teammates when it comes to her.”

And he’s learned about some of the factors that force children into the child protective system, including substance misuse. Before becoming a CASA, Howard had little knowledge of addiction. Yet all three of his cases largely hinge on the fallout caused by it. Here, he isn’t alone. Since the rise of the opioid epidemic, the majority of cases CASA takes on involve substance misuse—something most volunteers are inexperienced with when they first come to the program. This is why CASA works diligently to train volunteers and provide them with resources to increase their knowledge and awareness.

“Every parent I’ve worked with as a CASA has had obvious problems with opiates and other substances. And almost all of them claim that their parents had the same problem. This stuff gets transmitted from one generation to the next, but that doesn’t mean it’s genetic. There’s a cultural element.” But Howard knows that addictions don’t have to get passed on to the next generation. His hope is that through his work as a CASA, he can help the children he serves to have a better life than their parents and their grandparents have had.

Much of the knowledge and skills a CASA needs are learned in the pre-service training that they all receive. But some of it, Howard reports, you learn by doing. “It’s learning to pay attention to what’s going on to see if you can determine what might be beneath the surface.”

Since becoming a CASA advocate, one moment towards the end of his first case stands out as particularly meaningful to Howard. He met the father outside in a parking lot, and as they were walking around, the man told Howard that he’d decided that he wanted to be as good a dad as he could be—that he was going to let go of other things, and focus on that. “I told him ‘I just love it when you talk that way, that’s what we’re going for.’”

“There have been times like these where I have been driving home from meeting with a parent and their children, and it has put me in a fabulous, euphoric mood. Not to say that other times it hasn’t put me in a bad mood. It’s real life. I’m not discouraged because somebody has to try and help. To throw up your hands and do nothing isn’t going to solve anything,” Howard concludes.

If you would like to become a CASA volunteer, consider attending an upcoming virtual information session to learn more, or submit an application today.

When You Look for the Helpers, You’ll Find Maureen Rowley

Volunteering with children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and trauma, Maureen Rowley, a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for 22 years, has seen sadness and heartache, but has also seen joy. She’s cheered on parents who battle back and arise victorious from the clutches of drug misuse in order to gain back custody of a beloved child. And she’s seen the miraculous transformation that can take place when a traumatized child is matched with the perfect adoptive family.

“The most rewarding thing about this work is when you see what these kids have gone through and how difficult the situation is, have everything work out, is just fantastic,” says Maureen.

Maureen has learned and grown through her experiences as a CASA and through the educational opportunities provided. “When I first started, I didn’t realize how prevalent drugs were in Concord. I was really surprised. But I understand a lot more now about addiction and how strong a hold it can have on people, to the point where nothing else matters.” Owing to her work as a CASA, Maureen says that she’s more empathetic now than she ever has been. “I’ve learned so much about children and development from all the CASA trainings and the free classes offered to CASAs through Granite State College.”

On top of her work as a CASA, Maureen is a fulltime legal assistant, mother, and grandmother. And while a college degree isn’t required to become a CASA volunteer, Maureen also earned her bachelor’s degree in behavioral science during this time. Almost half of all CASAs work full time. “It is doable if you work full time. I can see how people looking in would think it can take up a huge part of your life, and it does sometimes, but there are so many good things that make it worthwhile to do this work.”

Maureen has seen the value in sometimes just being there for these children during the hardest time in their life. Having a hand in helping a child without a voice come to the point where they are in a much better place from where you found them is something she finds incredibly empowering.

The well-known and loved children’s television host Mr. Rogers advised children to “look for the helpers” in scary and uncertain situations. Maureen would certainly fit that role. “Helping others is really an enrichment to me as I was getting to know all these families. I like being able to help people, that’s the bottom line.”

It’s wonderful to think of all the children and families who are living better lives, all because Maureen chose to help.

If you would like to become a CASA volunteer, consider attending an upcoming virtual information session to learn more, or submit an application today.

CASA Volunteer Advocate Kathy Johnson’s Commitment to Caring

Kathy Johnson has built a life on caring for others. During her career in nursing, she taught nursing students how to care for children with special needs. At home, she raised her four children, and is now a grandmother of 10 (not one to sit idle, Kathy crocheted a blanket for each grandchild last winter during the pandemic lockdown). So, it’s no surprise that after retiring in 2016, Kathy took on the role of CASA volunteer advocate. She had a coworker who was involved with CASA, and Kathy thought it sounded like the type of thing she would enjoy, and a good opportunity to give back to her community.

Having now spent over five years as a CASA, advocating for close to 20 children, all of the cases stand out to her in some way. “I developed a pretty close relationship with a little girl on one of my cases. I looked forward to my visits with her probably as much as she did. She always sticks out in my mind, as well as her caregivers. It meant a lot to me. That case had a relatively good outcome for the child, and I felt good about it.”

Part of what has surprised Kathy the most during her time volunteering is the enormous demand. “There are just so many children at risk in this world today, even in rural New Hampshire.” As with many CASA advocates, the learning experience hasn’t ended there. “My long-ago idea of what a perfect family life is has changed a lot. But as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that everybody has struggles, and there’s no shame in it. I’ve learned that it’s ok to ask, and people should ask, for help. Raising a family in the best of circumstances is challenging, and when you’re not in the best of circumstances it’s even more so.”

For Kathy, the most satisfying part of her work as a CASA is when she’s able to get kids to tell her what’s really important to them. “Kids are a lot like adults in that sometimes they hide their feelings. Maybe they really don’t want to go back with their parents, but they feel like they should say they do. So, to me it’s meaningful if I can really understand what that child is trying to tell me.”

For those considering volunteering, Kathy explains “It’s work, but not a lot of work—although there are certainly cases that require more time and attention than others. But it’s important to know that you can ask for help as a CASA and that CASA has a good support system. Anyone can do this work with some help and advice from others. And you really do feel like you make a difference.”

If you would like to become a CASA volunteer, consider attending an upcoming virtual information session to learn more, or submit an application today.

CASA Volunteer Patty Tollner Reflects on 12 Years of Making a Difference in Children’s Lives

Patty Tollner has spent 12 years serving CASA of New Hampshire in multiple roles, from board member to volunteer advocate—some of that time with a special friend, her trained therapy dog Raisin, by her side. Like many people, Patty had heard about CASA through various channels over a number of years before the time was right for her to get involved.

When Patty first joined CASA, she had two children in college and one in high school, and she was also working full time. The company where she worked, Harvey Construction in Bedford, was very open to their employees participating in the community. So, as she puts it, she just found the time.

Putting Her Strengths & Skills to Use

“The training gives you a really good, solid background,” she said. “And even before that point, you have so many opportunities—different levels of participation and things that you’re being asked to do—and each of those things shows you all the strengths that you always had, but you never knew about. The work is so important, and I think that the advocate, at least in my case, gets so much out of it.”

Prior to retiring in 2013, Patty had also spent part of her career as a paralegal in a law firm, but she emphasizes that one does not need a special background to advocate as a CASA.

“You could be a gardener, nurse, doctor, administrative assistant, or a CEO,” she said. “You just need to be you, to listen, and to make recommendations to the court. That’s why you’re there. It sounds overwhelming, but by the time you walk into that courtroom you are so well versed in what the expectations are, and what you need to do. You know your child because you’ve been visiting with them, and it just flows, it just happens.”

She sees CASA as an incredible opportunity for people to pay attention to the skills they’ve had their whole life, but that nobody really asked them to demonstrate.

“People have this conversation all the time, where they’ll say, ‘I always wanted to do that, but I don’t have the time, I’m not a public speaker, I wouldn’t know what to say,’” she said. “Everyone has their role. Most people can do this. You don’t know until you try.”

An Important Voice

During her time advocating for 21 children in 14 different cases, Patty has found that the court takes her reporting very seriously.

“You’re on a level playing field with all the other folks that are there, whether that be the Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), attorneys for the parents, and CASA,” she said. “Everyone has their spot, and your spot is the child, so that he or she absolutely has a voice.”

Understanding Parents’ Challenges

While Patty’s ultimate focus as a CASA is on the child, her work has opened her eyes to the challenges some parents face.

“They may not have the internet or a consistent phone, or a car to travel to meetings,” she said. “What I’ve found is that I just try to be available to people. I think it can get a little challenging, but you have to step back and remember, they didn’t ask for us to be in their life. We’re in there for a reason – to make it better – and if you can put a little less pressure on the parent, who’s trying to change and conform to these certain rules, then I try to do that and not be too judgy.”

When doing her work as a CASA, Patty thinks about who she would want in the CASA’s role if it were her child.

“I would want someone that’s going to listen, and be committed and stick to it, and be honest,” she says. “So that’s what I do.”

The Reward of Making a Difference

When asked what she finds to be the most meaningful and rewarding parts of being a CASA, Patty immediately says it’s the kids.

“Whatever happens at the final disposition of that case, the time that the CASA is involved with that child, making these recommendations, and listening to them and speaking for them, is absolutely great time spent,” she said. “You may have been the only person that was really listening. I know, without question, that I made a real difference to some really important little people.”

She also points out how she has grown through her volunteer work.

“I am more patient, and more understanding,” she said. “I certainly have opinions, but when you go to meet a new child or a new family you leave that at the door. You work towards a good, safe goal for that child, and you help the kid write his or her story. I’m really proud of that.”

Lending a Helping Paw

Patty’s life with therapy dogs began with her basset hound Rita, who was the first therapy dog at the Nashua library. Rita would “read” to the children during story time. Following in Rita’s much smaller footsteps came Raisin, the “gigantic” labradoodle. Raisin visits Patty’s children if they’re interested, specifically youth who are in a group home setting.

“A therapy dog is a good icebreaker and an equalizer when people are upset or emotional,” she said. “It’s a good distraction from whatever ugly situation may be happening.”

Patty remembers a particular day when she and her CASA child were sitting on a bench, and the child became upset and started to cry. Raisin got up off the ground and dropped her big head onto the child’s lap with a hefty sigh. The child cracked up, Patty cracked up, and Raisin’s tail was wagging. It was a great moment, and just one of countless meaningful ways CASA advocates are able to connect with the children on their cases.

Be a Child’s Voice

Patty urges anyone curious about becoming a CASA volunteer to learn more.

“There are a lot of great organizations out there, but there isn’t an organization that addresses the same population in the same way as CASA. Really, truly, at the end of a case, there will be no question that you did something amazing because you were the light and the voice for that child.”

If you would like to become a CASA volunteer, consider attending an upcoming virtual information session to learn more, or submit an application today.

Helping a Child Thrive is the Greatest Reward for Volunteer Advocate Jack Hurley

Even before he became a CASA volunteer advocate nearly five years ago, Jack Hurley was familiar with the hardships and suffering that some children and youth face. During his career as an attorney and educator in Rochester, NY, many of the students who passed through the doors of the Rochester school district’s Law Academy carried the trauma inflicted upon them by poverty or neglect. Many resided in foster homes, after their own homes were deemed unsafe or lacking in fundamental care and necessities.

Witnessing the plight of these children is what spurred Jack to volunteer as a Guardian ad Litem with CASA of New Hampshire. As Jack sees it, “There are a lot of students, a lot of children, who are in very abusive and neglectful circumstances, and there’s nothing they can do about it. So hopefully the system steps in and tries to do something. As a CASA that’s important to me – to be an advocate for the children.”

Jack is currently on his fourth case as a CASA, having advocated for nine children to date. He has worked with children of different ages, from those currently in Head Start all the way up to teenagers. But no matter the age, the goal is always the same: “That they get into the best possible environment where they can thrive; where the child’s health, medical, and emotional needs are being met. That’s why I’m doing this, that’s the reward.”

While the needs and best interests of the children are his sole focus, experience has taught Jack that the circumstances that cause children to enter the child protection system are often generational. “There are good people who have gone through so much trauma, and much of this happened when they were children,” he explains. “It’s painful to see a mother who herself was abused have her kids taken away from her because she’s never been able to deal with her own trauma.”

Because of this, he aims to help parents understand what’s happening to their children. Jack’s philosophy is that the children’s lives can be improved if their parents’ lives are improved. If parents understand and change what’s happening in their own lives, they will probably be better parents.

“Sometimes families just need a time out, when they are able to look back and gather their resources, and get the support they need so they can get on with their lives as a family. When families do that, things have a good chance of working out and they can get back together again.” He knows. He’s witnessed it firsthand, with most of the cases he’s worked on ending in reunification after the parents took the steps needed to repair what was broken.

Jack has given so much to children in need, but he feels that he has gained a lot in return. He says that his work for CASA has made him a more compassionate person and that it is “intellectually challenging and emotionally challenging in a good way.” “Just seeing the children in an environment that promotes their growth, promotes their wellbeing and happiness is important. That’s why I’m doing it,” he adds.

Jack’s community involvement doesn’t end with his work with CASA. Since retiring to New Hampshire, he serves on the City of Claremont’s Conservation Commission, the Fiske Free Library’s Board of Trustees, and the Springfield (VT) Food Co-op Board of Directors. Jack is also a District Leader for the NH Chapter of the Humane Society of the United States, and is President of the Board of Directors of Twin States Animal Liberation. None of it is work that he gets paid for, but he finds it all deeply rewarding.

If you would like to become a CASA volunteer, consider attending an upcoming virtual information session to learn more, or submit an application today.

Advocate Spotlight: Meet Joanne Stroshine

Before becoming a CASA volunteer advocate, Joanne Stroshine was a high school teacher who saw many students at risk because they lacked the skills to cope with everyday challenges due to the abuse and neglect they were experiencing at home. After retiring, she joined CASA to try to break the generational chain with the goal of creating a brighter future for victimized children.

As a CASA, Joanne gets to know not only the child and the parents, but also the child’s DCYF (Division of Children, Youth and Families) caseworker, teachers and other community service providers involved in the case. Her role is to advocate on behalf of the child’s best interests, providing clear, unbiased recommendations for the judge to consider when making decisions affecting the child’s future. “I have been involved with four cases since joining CASA and the only common denominator among them has been the genuine love that the parents and children feel for each other,” Joanne recently shared.

In one of her cases, that love convinced the mother to make the very difficult decision to give up her son for adoption. She wanted someone who could give him the safe and permanent home that her struggle with substance misuse prevented her from providing.

“The greatest reward I could have received came on adoption day when, with joy in his eyes and voice, he announced, ‘I get to go to my forever home, now.’”

She said the next best reward was meeting the mother a year later and learning that she was sober and sees her son periodically. The mother thanked Joanne for helping them both get to a better place.

Joanne is just one of hundreds of advocates making a difference in the lives of victimized children through the generous support of donors like you. Your contributions enable us to advocate for more than a thousand children each year to help them find safe, stable and nurturing homes, free from abuse and neglect. As Joanne reminds us, “The challenges are great, but the rewards are greater.”

Being a CASA volunteer helped Pete King find a new level of work life balance

As an engineer who enjoys spending his days planning, organizing, scheduling and connecting people around one goal or project, Pete King says his work life blends easily with role as a CASA volunteer.

It’s a volunteer opportunity he heard about 20 years ago, but with young children and a full-time career, it wasn’t the right time. As an empty-nester 15 years later, a TV PSA for CASA prompted him to do some more research and apply to the program.

“I had a lot more free time on my hands, and was looking to keep busy while giving back to others who may be less fortunate than me,” he says.

In May, Pete will celebrate his fifth anniversary as a CASA. He has served 19 kids from 11 families in that time, and is always ready to start a new case when another is about to close.

Pete says this role has been a wonderful complement to skills he’s developed through his career. His cases are like his projects – he collects information and disseminates it, he works collaboratively with the child’s family, caseworkers and other professionals, he helps keep people organized and on task and then he writes reports that include the facts and information he’s collected and shares his opinion with the judge about what’s in the child’s best interests.

“There are so many things I’ve found I am good at as a CASA,” Pete says. “But there are a few areas where I was inexperienced..”

For example, understanding social sciences aspect of being a CASA was very new to him, but he’s had access to training beyond the initial 40-hours that prepares you for the role and has taken numerous classes available to CASAs through Granite State College to help him learn.

Those classes have helped him improve in building a rapport with children and the parents on his cases and in turn, have helped him to become a better problem solver at work.

As a CASA, he recognizes how important it is for children to remain with or reunify with their families as long as the conditions that initiated the case were addressed and the child would be safe. In fact, he always has very high expectations for reunification and works hard with each parent, and admits feeling let down when a parent is unable to achieve the necessary steps to retain custody of their children. He’s seen it most strikingly in parents who’ve been opioid involved and cannot free themselves from the powerful grasp of addiction, despite their love for their kids.

“My goal is really to give the kids a better life,” Pete says. “That might be my biggest disappointment, when parents can’t turn things around and the child can’t go home. I take comfort in knowing that every child was in a better place at the conclusion of the case, be it reunification with parents who were able to turn their life around or adoption by relatives or a new forever family. ”

Fitting CASA in around a career

As a CASA, it’s Pete’s job to get to know the child or children at the center of the case he has been assigned. He meets with them at least once a month (something that has been done virtually or socially distanced since last March) and collects information from the adults in their lives so he can paint a picture of the child’s life for a judge overseeing the case in family court.

He spends about 12 hours a month on each case he is on, which he says is plenty of time to do some research, attend trainings or support groups, meet with kids and families, and write his quarterly reports and attend court, where he presents his recommendations in-person.

“It has refocused how I get my work done,” Pete says of fitting it in around his job. “I like to work, I like to be busy and if it weren’t for CASA, I would just work a lot of extra hours.”

Pete says overall, he has a fairly flexible schedule, but he still has clients, meetings and deadlines to adhere to. With the exception of the first court hearing when a case is presented to the court, each subsequent hearing is scheduled in advance with the parties present to ensure it fits everyone’s schedules.

“That’s a hard date that goes on my calendar,” Pete says.

Being a CASA during COVID

What Pete couldn’t have predicted 5 years ago, was how things would change in the face of a worldwide pandemic. It’s been a challenge, he says, and he misses seeing his CASA kids in person and as frequently as he used to.

For Pete’s current cases, he has a teenager and younger children, none of whom really have the patience or attention span to spend a lot of time on Zoom. So, his virtual time with them is brief but he relies on input from teachers and daycare providers who observe the children daily. He’s looking forward to being able to see them in-person again as the weather warms up.

Meanwhile, it has created some efficiencies in other areas. Zoom support groups and virtual trainings are easier to attend and not having to travel to meet with people or attend court is a time-saver, he says.

Getting involved with CASA

Pete says he’s very appreciative of his company, Geosyntec Consultants’ support of his volunteer work with CASA. Geosyntec recognizes the corporate responsibility for giving back whether it is volunteering in local food pantries or designing vital water supplies for African refugee camps. Although most of the CASA volunteering, such as report writing or child visits can be done in evenings or on weekends, there are occasional court hearings or meetings that require scheduling during the workday. They encourage community involvement and have been flexible with time he needs to take off to attend court hearings or meetings.

“They have been amazingly supportive. I would say they go above and beyond supporting employees with interests like this,” Pete says.

He says he appreciates that his firm and many other companies recognize the importance of providing time to volunteer. He thinks it’s a great way to retain employees, help them achieve more work life balance and understand better what their own goals are.

“Our firm, and others, recognize that there are so many things you can to do help employees remain engaged both inside and outside of work and it leads to companies retaining their employees.”

If you would like to become a CASA volunteer, consider attending an upcoming live virtual information session to learn more, or submit an application today.

Combining Full-Time Work with Vital Volunteering for NH’s Children

For the past 12 years, Mike LaRoche has been changing the lives of New Hampshire’s abused and neglected children while working full-time as a busy sales representative. Mike is one of more than 600 Court Appointed Special Advocates across the state who volunteer to speak up for the best interests of victimized children in New Hampshire’s court system.

“My work as a CASA volunteer has become such a significant part of my life that it is like the third leg of a stool – it keeps me balanced,” Mike says. According to Mike, volunteering as a CASA advocate has created some very busy days, but has actually reduced the stress he feels in his work or personal life. “When you see a child who is abused or neglected, your own problems just don’t seem so bad. You realize how incredibly blessed you are,” he comments.

Like Mike, 39% of CASA of NH’s volunteer advocates also hold a full-time job, while another 33% work part-time. After comprehensive training, a volunteer typically devotes 10-15 hours per month on his or her case(s). This work includes getting to know the child or children on the case; speaking regularly with important people in the child’s life; and writing court reports, attending court hearings, and speaking to a judge about the child’s progress. During the COVID-19 pandemic, everything from training to court appearances is taking place virtually.

CASA volunteers who work full-time say the most important thing is to have some flexibility in your schedule. As long as you have the freedom to shape your workday, even if only a handful of times per year to be able to attend court hearings, it is possible to combine full-time work with a rewarding experience as a CASA volunteer advocate.

“One of the beauties of CASA, and what makes it a manageable volunteer opportunity, is that the volunteer has complete control over what kind of case to take, how many cases to take, and the location of the court to serve,” explains Erin Hiley Sharp, an associate professor at the University of New Hampshire and a six- year volunteer with CASA.

To learn more about changing a child’s story as a CASA volunteer while working, consider attending a live virtual information session where you will hear from CASA staff and volunteers about this vital role and have the opportunity to get your questions answered.

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Retirees Provide a Vital Voice for NH’s Abused and Neglected Children

After Seacoast New Hampshire resident Dean Plager retired, he enjoyed spending more time sailing, but he also felt a need to give back to society. He read an article about a local woman who was advocating for abused and neglected children as a volunteer with CASA of NH. “It hit home for me because I had been looking for something to do that really makes a difference. This was it,” Dean says.

Court Appointed Special Advocates of New Hampshire – or CASA of NH – recruits, trains and supervises volunteers to serve as advocates for abused and neglected children in the New Hampshire court system. Volunteers spend time getting to know a victimized child and the important adults in that child’s life so they may make qualified, unbiased recommendations to a judge deciding a child’s future. Since CASA of NH was founded in 1989, its volunteers have helped more than 10,000 children grow up in safe, permanent homes.

More than 55 percent of CASA of NH’s 600 volunteers last year were over 60 and almost 50 percent were retired or working part-time. According to Marcia Sink, founder and President/CEO of CASA, women and men of retirement age play a key role in the organization’s goal to provide a CASA volunteer advocate to every abused or neglected child who needs one.

“We are expecting a surge in cases of abuse and neglect after the COVID pandemic passes and we need more volunteers now. Retired folks or people with flexible schedules are in a position to step up quickly, plus we find that our older volunteers have tremendous abilities that they still want to use during retirement. It is a good combination,” she says.

CASA volunteer advocate Darcy Horgan calls her work for CASA a “win/win,” commenting that “it engages my work ethic but has real meaning. At this stage of life, what a bonus it is to do valuable work that is fulfilling!”

Monadnock-area resident Patience Stoddard was a little bored in her second year of retirement. She attended a 40-hour training session to become a CASA volunteer advocate and found the training “exceptional.” She also discovered kindred spirits in her fellow classmates. “It makes you realize that there are a lot of good people out there. It keeps your faith in humanity,” she says.

As with other aspects of life, the COVID pandemic has altered CASA volunteer work. Training has moved online and advocates meet with children in safely distanced visits or, if the child is old enough, through virtual means. Some courts convene through telephone and web conferences while others offer socially distanced in-person meetings.

Steve and Betsy Coes were deep into training to become CASA volunteer advocates when the COVID pandemic hit. They completed their training online and received their first cases in Spring 2020. Steve says that he has been able to check on his one-year-old CASA child and do the work despite COVID. “Every time a new wrinkle arises, it is an education. Most of all, my CASA work is an education about what the world is like out there. You see how people get in situations and you start to understand motivations,” he says.

Want to learn more? Read our FAQs about volunteering or join us for a live, virtual information session:

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A Powerful Voice for New Hampshire’s Vulnerable Children

It was 1993 when Fred Hurwitz became aware of national statistics surrounding child abuse and neglect. Knowing he had to do something to support victimized children in his area, he began his search for a volunteer role where he could utilize his skills to make a substantial contribution. He came across a relatively new organization in New Hampshire called CASA and 25 years later he is still advocating for our state’s most vulnerable children.

Fred has served as a volunteer advocate for 18 children from 10 different families. His case experiences have allowed him to witness successful adoptions, reunifications and assist in providing teens who are aging out of the foster care system with important skills for adulthood. When you ask Fred why he continues to serve as a CASA volunteer advocate after 25 years, he says it is simply because he knows he is making a difference.

“CASA volunteer advocates know the children better than anyone else on the case,” Fred says.

“You stay with the children through the length of a case, and that is powerful.”

Fred speaks of his advocacy with pride and dedication for the children he has served. “When you do good work, the judges listen. You are influential,” he says.

As Fred speaks to new potential CASA volunteer advocates, he ensures that they know they will have the proper training and support to successfully be an advocate.

“Everything that you learn in the initial 40-hour training is reinforced throughout the length of your case,” Fred says.

Becoming a CASA volunteer advocate does take a fair amount of organization. When attending court hearings and meetings, Fred is sure to take notes and later expand on them in his court reports. His notes allow him to quickly refresh what has been happening on the case and cite easily to the judge which matters he feels are most important to communicate.

Throughout his 25 years, Fred has always maintained a full-time job. He says that while it takes planning, the time commitment of his advocacy can be very flexible.

“If you are prepared in court with a calendar, you can easily manage your schedule,” Fred says.

As Fred meets new potential CASA volunteer advocates and discusses how he has made an impact, he shares truthfully about his experience.

“Very few outcomes are perfect. You have to have the personality of ‘I know that I have improved the circumstances of the child,’” Fred says.

Reflecting on his prior cases, Fred talks about his most rewarding case involving a young sibling who suffered from abuse. Fred was there as the child made an incredible recovery after a severe trauma and began to flourish in her pre-adoptive home. With strength, resiliency and her CASA Fred by her side, this child was united with her new forever family for a safe, permanent future.

While Fred’s 25-years-and-counting commitment to CASA is a somewhat unique example, his compassionate and dedicated advocacy for New Hampshire’s children is similar to others. Whether CASA volunteer advocates take one case or ten before moving on, they all wish to make a profound difference in the life of a child. Their continuous, professional advocacy is crucial in CASA’s mission of reaching 100% of our state’s abused and neglected children. As a CASA volunteer advocate, every case that you will encounter will be different, but you will always be making a difference in the life of a victimized child.