Elevation Donates to the CASA of Harford County

Congratulations to our first annual Service Award winner, Cheryl Hazle, for her nomination to our Charity Program – “Elevate our Community”!

The annual service award winner is voted on by the entire company and is chosen from previous monthly winners in our #ElevateOurCommunity company initiative.

Cheryl nominated the CASA of Harford County.

What is the Casa of Harford County?

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate.  It is a national association that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children currently in the foster care system ensuring that, ultimately, children have a safe and healthy environment in permanent homes.

There are more than 70,000 advocates serving in nearly 1,000 state and local program offices in the United States. Each year nearly a quarter of a million children are assisted through CASA services.

The CASA volunteer represents just one child in the foster care system and works hand-in-hand with the Division of Social Services, the attorneys, medical professionals, and school officials.  The CASA is the one constant during the child's exposure to the foster are program.

Why did Cheryl choose this charity?

Cheryl chose this organization because she felt a call to help children in need now that her two daughters are college-aged.  She wanted to make an impact on her community and gain new insights into the foster care world.

Cheryl initially "signed-up" to become a CASA in the Fall of 2017.  She went through 30 hours of training to prepare for the role.  She was assigned her first case in December, 2017. She is advocating for a 14 year-old boy that has been in the system for over 5 years!   She has attended court hearings, had meetings with attorneys, social workers, and school officials - all in the interest of ensuring that her child is getting the best care and services for him.  As an advocate, she has spent many hours with her CASA child on outings to restaurants, mini-golf, and shopping.

There are CASA chapters throughout the United States - probably one in your neighborhood!

For more information, go to: http://www.casaofharfordcounty.org/