Being a CASA is like being a gardener. Randal Johnson

After working in corrections for twenty-plus years, I became a CASA volunteer. I realized that many of the people incarcerated had no one looking out for their best interests when their families had problems.

It takes a village to raise a child, and they had none. I felt that if someone had just stood up somewhere along the timeline of those most important formative years, things would have been different, and I knew it was time for me to step up and try to break the cycle. 

The most difficult obstacle for me to overcome, being a CASA, was the reality of the overwhelming need in our village. Because of that, I pushed forward even in times that things never looked like a change was possible, but I continued on as a CASA. I knew in my heart that I knew this was the most important work of my life, giving hope to others.

I’d like others to know that being a CASA is like being a gardener. We plant seeds of hope and watch them grow, and someday, there will be a harvest. Be brave and speak boldly for the child.