Nominee #1: Pam Zinnante
Pam started with CASA in February in 2019. She accepted her first case as a newly sworn-in advocate and is still advocating for the same sibling group that she was assigned at the start. She has been consistently engaged with her CASA family over the last year and has done an excellent job in her first year of advocacy.
Pam’s children have been housed in two separate placements for the majority of the last year. Both original placements were two hours away from her home, leaving Pam traveling hundreds of miles each month to see her kids. She visited the sibling group separately each month until they were recently placed back together. At each visit, she made sure each caregiver had all the support they needed to care for the children and assisted with bringing dinner to the families and toys and resources from Hopes Bridge Resource Room.
Beyond her normal visits, Pam has gone above and beyond in advocating for the children’s educational needs. She made sure that ARDs were being held, and that the children were enrolled in the HeadStart programs in each new placement. She also tirelessly worked towards obtaining the birth records for her children and was eventually successful in that endeavor.
In court testimony, Pam is never afraid to share her thoughts. She is very confident when speaking about the children’s best interest and holds the courts attention. This outstanding CASA has shown up to rescheduled court hearings, one after another, without complaint, and always shows up prepared to give testimony and recommendations on behalf of her children.
Pam always attends CASA gatherings, in-service trainings, and assisted with securing presenters for our Amplifying Advocacy Conference. She is ALWAYS willing to lend a helping hand, is patient, and incredibly caring. We couldn’t imagine our program without her!
