THE FEBRUARY ADVOCATE OF THE MONTH IS:
Virginia Box!
Our advocates give so much of themselves when they accept a case. They give their time to train so they have the knowledge they need and their time to visit the families and children so they know they are not alone. They give their resources traveling back and forth or maybe by purchasing a sweet small gift and more times than not… they give a space in their hearts for those lives that they ultimately touch. This is so true of our February Advocate of the Month, Virginia Box.
Virginia Box joined CASA just a little over 5 months ago and accepted a case shortly after. For this particular case we knew we would need an advocate who would be able to dedicate a little more time than usual. After a conversation with Virgina explaining this, she quickly accepted. New to case work, I admired Virginia’s desire to know more, as she did not shy away from asking questions. Once assigned, she got straight to work, observing 4-6 hours visits every other week for an “intervening party” to the case, all while still making visits to the children’s placement home to spend time with them, attending court, observing virtual visits, submitting her documentation, and more.
Virginia has been able to connect with all family members and foster parents despite them all wanting different outcomes for the case. The time she spends, the way she carefully considers all outcomes, and most importantly how she treats every member involved in this case gains their trust and respect. It is apparent that Virginia has a knack for managing any biases she may have while focusing primarily on the best interest of the children.
We are so fortunate to have Virginia as a member of the CASA family and appreciate all of her hard work and dedication. It is through advocates like Virginia that our program is able to help strengthen families and impact our community.