With the mission of speaking up for and supporting abused and neglected children in the court systems, CASA of West Central Illinois Director Kelly Radeke shares how to become a volunteer:
“We take volunteers from all backgrounds because the children we serve are from all backgrounds as well. You have to be 21, you have to have about five hours a month to volunteer, have transportation, be able to use the internet, and your computer. So, our volunteers get assigned a case by the juvenile judge and they visit with their children at their foster homes once a month and make sure everything is going okay. They meet with teachers and counselors and doctors, they attend all hearings for the children, and they write reports for the juvenile judge to help them determine the best course of action. There is a 30-hour training course. There is an application online. Our training courses are virtual so every Monday night we meet for about an hour, and it is a guided learning model, so they work independently on their own throughout the week and do their homework and then we meet up every Monday night to go over everything. It takes about five weeks and then once you are done, you get swore in by the juvenile judge and then we get you going.”
CASA of West Central Illinois is currently serving 139 children throughout Knox, Warren, Henderson, and McDonough Counties. Additionally, this Thursday, November 7th, CASA is hosting a Lip Sync Battle fundraising event at the Cedar Creek Hall in Galesburg. Doors open at 5:30 pm and the event begins at 6:30 pm. Tickets for the Back to the 80’s themed night are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
