One Caring Adult Can Change a Life
www.bostoncasa.org
In my volunteer work as a court appointed special advocate, I have become a mentor/friend to an 18 year old who now has a one-year old girl. They live in a teen parent shelter in the Boston area. I have known the youth since she was 14 and had just run away from an abusive home. Initially I advocated for her in court as she was involved with the child welfare system due to the abuse. Our relationship has evolved to the point where she trusts me, knows that I am here for her and her daughter, and believes me when I tell her that she can accomplish whatever she wants to in life. She aged out of the foster care system last summer and is on her way to taking the GED tests and has aspirations to be a nurse midwife. Every child who goes through abuse and neglect deserves a caring adult who consistently shows up, advocates for them and is kind of their back-up system. When I visited her at the teen parent shelter recently, I met some of the other girls and their children. I realized that they all deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. I decided to create a pop-up shop/salon experience for them in early December where they can choose some outfits, get their nails and hair done and have a nice meal. I have rounded up quite a few volunteers to help me with this, a local salon has offered to do the treatments and my home is being inundated with beautiful teen clothing! My own 14 year old daughter is enjoying helping me sort, launder and press the clothing. This work gives me immense joy and satisfaction. I give to Boston CASA on a consistent monthly basis and appreciate all they have done to train and support me as I continue on this journey to advocate for disenfranchised youth. The model makes sense. Every single child who has been abused or neglected deserves a caring adult by their side. That is what Boston CASA does.
Review from #MyGivingStory