Every December, the attorneys and staff of our Grand Rapids office host a toy drive for CASA of Kent County. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) is a non-profit organization that looks out for the best interests of abused and neglected children as they make their way through the family court system. The organization does this by training volunteers to investigate, facilitate, advocate and monitor services for children who are wards of the court due to abuse and/or neglect. CASA volunteers present first-hand information and observations to help judges make the very best decisions about children’s futures.
CASA’s volunteers are the eyes, ears and heart of the court and the voice of abused and neglected children.
According to CASA of Kent County, 2,000-3,000 confirmed cases of abuse and neglect occur right here in our community every year. Hundreds of these kids are made wards of the Family Court and placed in out-of-home foster care. Without a helping hand from CASA volunteers, these children might fall through the cracks of an overwhelmed system and never get the opportunity to find a safe, loving and permanent home.
We feel so fortunate to not only partner with CASA to provide gifts for its children during the holiday season, but to have Smith Haughey team members lead the project. The firm is proud to have legal secretaries Kristi Gaskin and Michelle LaMora, who organized and executed the drive, from start to finish, and attorney Chris Spain, who is a past CASA volunteer and is a driving force behind the firm’s involvement with the organization.
To learn more about CASA of Kent County and the impact they make on our community, visit their website.