Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Chris..

Before seeking out volunteer opportunities in San Francisco, Chris had worked with foster youth in a group home. When, in the summer of 2007, she came across CASA on Craigslist, she was immediately interested. By February of the following year, Chris was assigned a case.

Chris became the CASA for Laura who, born with a positive toxicology, was abandoned by her parents along with her younger sister. Laura and her sister suffered abuse at the hands of their adoptive parents, and were removed. While their parents were not following through with visitation, it was important that Chris was available to provide support for Laura. It was in this area that Chris found her greatest challenge: “[letting] go of my judgments and my ideas of how a family ‘should’ be – which is critical in being able to focus on the solution instead of on the problem.”

When Chris first met Laura she had been in foster care. She and her sister returned home but were soon placed in foster care again. Chris’ case supervisor, Heather Zona, says, “Through it all, Chris remained a consistent presence and source of support for Laura. She also reached out to Laura’s sister when her CASA left the case. […] Chris has worked collaboratively with her new CASA.”

Chris has also played an active role in Laura’s education, and great strides have been made. Laura’s grades improved; she also developed interests in working with animals, writing poetry, and learning Spanish. Despite some behavioral problems, Laura has been described as creative, artistic, and thoughtful. Chris has loved being able to watch Laura grow and believes that she receives as much from their relationship as Laura does. During their time together, they often go to movies or just eat and chat. “She’s the best date I’ve had in years!” Chris joked.

SF CASA will be highlighting one volunteer each month to honor their achievements and give our volunteers a chance to become more familiar with one another.