Local foster kids in need of more volunteers from CASA
Court Appointed Special Services of Yuma County, or CASA, are low on volunteers to help local kids in the foster system, leaving many without a constant adult figure - 13 On Your Side's Luis Lopez reports
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Court Appointed Special Services of Yuma County or CASA, is one of the leading local resources for foster kids. However, they need help badly right now, as volunteer numbers are nowhere near where they’d like them to be.
CASA volunteers help kids as they go through the foster care system, checking in on them to make sure that they’re ok, and to provide kids with a constant adult figure. Unfortunately, many kids are going without that help right now. The organization currently only has 36 active volunteers, and over 130 children in need of one.
CASA coordinator Sandy Garrison says that COVID-19 is part of the reason they’re short on volunteers right now.
“During this last 20 months, there’s been a lot of on and off because of the pandemic, and so we have people go inactive for a little while, or take a break between cases, which by all means please do, you know sometimes it’s a little rough, you need to rest, so right now we’re at 36 active,” Garrison said.
K.C Zargarian has been a volunteer with CASA for five years. She says kids who don’t nave a volunteer definitely need one, as they can become one of the only adults they can rely on during the foster process.
“You know I have kids, they’ve had a lot of problems in their life and they don’t really trust anybody, and the casa may be the only person that they trust in their life,” Zargarian said.
CASA says that those who are interested in helping need to have plenty of time and a flexible schedule. If you’re interested in volunteering, you can start the process by going to their website, which has more information on what the process to become a volunteer is and how to apply.
