One
of the reasons I joined RPA was because I thought it would provide me with
opportunities to give back to the Richmond community. Why was this so important
to me? Because I recognize that I owe a lot of my success to the support system
and mentors that Richmond has afforded me. RPA’s mission is to foster
professionalism, continuing legal education, public service, and networking for
paralegals in Central Virginia. I knew that RPA’s strong presence in both the
Richmond legal field and throughout the Commonwealth could be used to do a lot
of good.
It
was through RPA that I first learned of Richmond Court Appointed Special
Advocates (CASA). Richmond CASA volunteers are assigned to abuse and/or neglect
cases that come before the City of Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations
District Court. CASA volunteers are expected to act as a child’s voice in the
courtroom by gathering information and reporting it back to a judge at hearing.
In
the past, RPA members collected school supplies and donated them to Richmond
CASA, only one of the several programs affiliated with a local nonprofit
organization called Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now). Presently,
our members are collecting snacks at our monthly meetings which will be
provided to children and families during their participation in SCAN’s various
programs.
At
this point, you may be wondering why I have chosen to share about CASA
specifically in this month’s blog post. It is because Richmond CASA recently
swore in 13 new volunteers after their completion of the National CASA Training
Curriculum! I was honored to be one of the volunteers sworn in on June 18, 2015
by The Honorable Marilynn C. Goss, Chief Judge, Richmond Juvenile &
Domestic Relations Court. Although the recent swearing in ceremony is one to be
celebrated, it is important to keep in mind that there is still a great need
for CASA volunteers. Thus, I encourage you to learn more about Richmond CASA at
http://grscan.com/programs/richmond-casa-2/
and share this information with anyone you think may have a passion to become a
CASA volunteer.
Like
or share this post to spread the word about Richmond CASA!
If
you are interested in becoming a CASA volunteer, please reach out to Erin
Ortiz, Richmond CASA Volunteer Coordinator, at erin.ortiz@richmondgov.com
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