My Nonprofit Reviews

I was on the founding board of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Sonoma County. I served the limit of six years and watched it grow and become a vital aspect of the juvenile dependency court.

CASA is a program matching advocates with children who have been removed from the home for abuse or neglect and placed in the juvenile dependency court system. The advocate spends 2-4 hours per week with the child providing mentorship as well as advocating for the child's interests in court.

As with any new program, CASA was met with skepticism by social workers and attorneys. It is now a robust program lauded by those same skeptics. One adult can make an enormous difference in a child's life, particularly when that child has been victimized by a parent's shortcomings, illnesses and addictions. It makes the difference between that child overcoming their abuse or growing up to be an addict/abuser themselves.

These hurt children also run the risk of becoming youthful offenders and ending up in the juvenile justice system.

The advocates commit to a very high level of volunteerism. The screening and training is intensive. Their commitment to a child is for a minimum of one year and often exceeds two years.

There are few immediate rewards for an advocate. They serve knowing that they may never see the fruits of their labor, may never be thanked or outwardly appreciated by the child they are serving. But they have faith that the time with their child makes a difference.

CASA of Sonoma County has been very fortunate to have Millie Gilson as the executive director for all of its years. I've never met a more passionate and dedicated child advocate. She is tireless in all aspects of the organization -- from program development, advocate training, board development, fundraising, ongoing training.

CASA of Sonoma County is most deserving of continued support from generous donors.