LEXINGTON, Kentucky (April 20, 2020) — CASA of Lexington’s Volunteers of the Month for April 2020 are Judy Horne and Kim Skidmore.

Judy Horne

Judy and her husband, Mike, have been CASA volunteers since February 2018. They work on cases in Bourbon County.

Judy’s current volunteer manager, Beka Schwartz, said she is an incredible volunteer who truly puts her heart and soul into helping the children on her cases.

“She had a case close that she worked for nearly two years with her husband,” Schwartz said. “In that case, they helped two parents who had hit rock bottom maintain sobriety, regain housing, maintain employment and find a support system.”

The children in that case were able to return home where they could live safe and happy lives — fulfilling the primary goal of CASA’s work.

On her current case, Judy has fought tirelessly for the best interests of a little girl, even when that has resulted in some tough decisions.

“Judy continued to push to move the little girl to a parent’s home. Even though the little girl stopped talking to her, Judy didn’t give up,” Schwartz said. “Now, she is excelling in school and in her home life. Judy has never given up on her tough cases and continues to serve CASA with her whole heart.”

Judy said she heard about CASA through her church.

“I think the thing that is most rewarding about it is how people become family to you that you didn’t know before,” she said. “I think that’s it — the relationships and the fact that you make a difference in people’s lives.”

Judy said serving as a CASA volunteer is time-consuming but rewarding work.

“It’s wonderful and it’s rewarding,” she said. “You do spend more time than you ever think you would."

Kim Skidmore

Kim Skidmore has been a CASA volunteer in Fayette County since May 2018.

“She often goes above and beyond for her cases,” said Cara Macleod, Kim’s volunteer manager. “She meets with teachers, therapists and other interested parties to gather information about the parents and the children.”

While CASA volunteers usually only take on one case at a time, Skidmore has accepted three cases at the same time. That’s because while she was working on two cases, one of her old cases re-opened and a judge asked for a CASA Volunteer.

“When seeking a volunteer, she was willing to say yes to this third case,” Macleod said. “She has many abilities, but I find her greatest asset to be her ability to work with so many different individuals on a case.”

Kim said as a preschool director, she has made calls to social services before, but being a CASA volunteer gave her a fresh perspective.

“It was just interesting to see how the kids had no voice. Who was speaking for the kid? And who asked for things to be done for the child?” she said.

Serving a CASA volunteer, she’s been able to “connect the dots” and help get kids services they need. She’s also been able to speed up case resolutions, getting kids back into safe, permanent homes faster.

“That’s why I love doing it,” she said. “If you love kids and you enjoy doing something that is rewarding and helpful, it is the best thing that you could do."

About CASA of Lexington

CASA of Lexington’s trained and supervised volunteers advocate through the family court system to ensure all victims of child abuse and neglect are safe and thrive in a permanent home. Changes such as where the child lives or goes to school, changes in social workers, teachers and friends, as well as the uncertainty of what life holds, can be very overwhelming for these children.  The CASA volunteer is there to help recognize what the child needs, work to minimize these detrimental changes, and advocate for positive changes for the child’s future. Learn more or let us know you’re interested in volunteering at casaoflexington.org or by calling (859) 246-4313.

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (April 23, 2020) — CASA of Lexington was featured on LEX 18 at Sunrise this morning. Reporter Claire Kopsky detailed the need for more CASA volunteers in anticipation of a spike in reported child abuse and neglect cases after the current pandemic restrictions are lifted.

You can watch the video here or visit LEX18.com:

You can sign up to volunteer and learn about other ways to support CASA of Lexington during the current pandemic at casaoflexington.org/covid19.

About CASA of Lexington

CASA of Lexington’s trained and supervised volunteers advocate through the family court system to ensure all victims of child abuse and neglect are safe and thrive in a permanent home. Changes such as where the child lives or goes to school, changes in social workers, teachers and friends, as well as the uncertainty of what life holds, can be very overwhelming for these children.  The CASA volunteer is there to help recognize what the child needs, work to minimize these detrimental changes, and advocate for positive changes for the child’s future.

For more information, contact Ben Kleppinger, community engagement coordinator, at bkleppinger@casaoflexington.org or (859) 200-7266.

Nonprofit needs more volunteers to speak for abused and neglected children

Online: casaoflexington.org/covid19

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (April 22, 2020) — Life has shut down in many ways during the COVID-19 pandemic, but CASA of Lexington is gearing up for a possible spike in reported cases of child abuse and neglect after restrictions are lifted.

“I do have concerns that there are children out there and probably many cases that have not been reported and so maybe the children are not receiving services that they should,” said Melynda Jamison, executive director. "I expect that when children are back in schools, hopefully come August, that we will see a significant increase."

With school out for the rest of the year, some children who already lived in homes where they were at risk of abuse or neglect are now spending all their time in those homes. In other homes, job losses, tight living spaces and the stress of living through a pandemic increases the risk for abusive or neglectful behavior by caretakers.

People in the homes where abused or neglected children live often are not the ones to report neglect or abuse; it’s not until more eyes are on a child at school that suspected abuse or neglect can be identified.

"Here at CASA of Lexington, we’re working to be prepared for that and ready to tackle that challenge,” Jamison said. "It’s going to be more important than ever that we have CASA volunteers ready to step into those cases and take them.”

CASA of Lexington has launched a COVID-19 response page on its website at casaoflexington.org/covid19, which helps anyone find a way they can help. New CASA volunteers can now sign up to take their initial 30-hour training online, and an application to begin the process is available on the website.

Supporters who cannot commit to being a CASA volunteer right now can still donate to CASA of Lexington, which has seen its recent fundraising efforts impacted by the cancellation or rescheduling of several major events. Anyone can also sign up to be a Friend of CASA and give of their time and skills in other ways than being a CASA volunteer.

About CASA of Lexington

CASA of Lexington’s trained and supervised volunteers advocate through the family court system to ensure all victims of child abuse and neglect are safe and thrive in a permanent home. Changes such as where the child lives or goes to school, changes in social workers, teachers and friends, as well as the uncertainty of what life holds, can be very overwhelming for these children.  The CASA volunteer is there to help recognize what the child needs, work to minimize these detrimental changes, and advocate for positive changes for the child’s future.

For more information, contact Ben Kleppinger, community engagement coordinator, at bkleppinger@casaoflexington.org or (859) 200-7266.

All proceeds from virtual fun run on April 18 benefit CASA of Lexington

(April 10, 2020) CASA of Lexington is challenging runners, walkers and anyone who just wants to get some exercise while staying healthy at home to help log a mile for every local child who was abused or neglected last year.

A "virtual fun run" — organized by John's Run/Walk Shop and benefiting CASA — is being held on Saturday, April 18. We hope to get enough people participating to collectively walk and run 1,346 miles — one mile for every new petition of child abuse and neglect in Fayette, Bourbon and Woodford counties in 2019.

Participating in the fun run is easy. You can register for free or for a donation amount of your choice by visiting johnsrunwalkshop.com, clicking on "Keep Moving Forward" and choosing the April 18 date for CASA's fun run. Or click here to visit the registration page directly.

When you log your miles, let us know on Twitter (@CASAofLexington), Facebook (@lexingtoncasa) or Instagram (@casaoflexington), so we can celebrate and all run/walk together online.

"For these runs, there won't be any shirts, there won't be any medals, and the only way we can support you is in spirit," John's Run/Walk Shop explains. "Instead, 100% of the proceeds from these runs will be going to local charities. Additionally, with the future looking uncertain for so many people, the cost of participating in these runs is entirely up to you."

You won't be running or walking alone: CASA volunteers, staff and board members have been invited to participate. And even CASA's certified service dog Matilda plans to log miles from her morning and afternoon walks.

We may not be able to come together physically right now to support CASA's mission of ensuring all victims of child abuse and neglect are safe and thrive in a permanent home. But there's also something powerful about hundreds or even thousands of people around Kentucky and beyond coming together virtually while each doing their own small part from home. We hope you'll join us and run or walk for the kids on April 18.

You can register for the virtual fun run here: https://www.runsignup.com/Race/KY/Lexington/KeepMovingForwardforCASAofLexington

About CASA of Lexington

CASA of Lexington’s trained and supervised volunteers advocate through the family court system to ensure all victims of child abuse and neglect are safe and thrive in a permanent home. Changes such as where the child lives or goes to school, changes in social workers, teachers and friends, as well as the uncertainty of what life holds, can be very overwhelming for these children. The CASA volunteer is there to help recognize what the child needs, work to minimize these detrimental changes, and advocate for positive changes for the child’s future. For more information on CASA of Lexington, to volunteer or make a donation visit the website at www.casaoflexington.org.