on the cover / By Heidi Walters

The CASA

A legally appointed buddy can help a kid move forward when life seems to have lurched to a stop

(April 23, 2009)  This Saturday, CASA of Humboldt will throw open the doors of its newly remodeled and expanded headquarters on Myrtle Avenue and invite everyone in to examine what is essentially a haven of beauty, comfort, stimulation and light. “CASA” stands for “court-appointed special advocate” — a trained volunteer who is the friend, and voice, of a child caught up in the juvenile dependency court system. Often, these kids are victims of abuse or neglect and have been removed from their homes. And it can seem as if a million different people are coming and going, trying to sort out their young lives. A CASA volunteer is the constant in such a kid’s life.

Now, the support system for the CASA volunteers — there are about 60 of them in Humboldt — has become more stable, as well, with the establishment of a permanent home for the nonprofit organization. After five years of toil and fundraising, the nonprofit’s recently paid-off, 1928-vintage house and garage have been transformed into a single place of spacious walls and floor space, big windows, tidy offices, well-supplied kitchen, stuffed leather couches, abundant art supplies, toys and games and a freshly constructed playground in a side yard — and most of that great stuff was donated by various entities in the community or acquired through grants.

GALLERY >

Now, CASA of Humboldt can begin to dream bigger, says executive director Steve Volow. Imagine art classes in the airy main room where the rocking horse sits. Yoga classes. Volunteer trainings in the conference room. Cooking lessons. Team meetings of parents, advocates and social workers. And advocates already are using the new space to meet with their kids: One guy helped his appointed child with some math the other day; another advocate did a yoga session with her child.

And maybe, now, CASA can recruit more volunteers, and perhaps hire another supervisor to help them.

But just what, exactly, does a CASA do? And why is that so important?

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Time for another bathroom break.

“Mom!” cried Micah, who will be 4 in June. “Mommy!”

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