Barbara Winters Dietrich first learned about CASA at a Rotary Club meeting. She felt it was an organization where she could make a difference and reached out to learn more. Fast-forward nearly six years later and she is still serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate.
"My favorite thing about being a CASA is watching children flourish. It doesn’t always happen but when it does the feeling is like no other. I have learned so much since this journey began, some good, some heartbreaking, but in the end if I help even one child, it was worth it," shared Barbara.
She recalled a special memory of meeting a child for the first time. "He sat next to me and laid his head on my arm and said, 'you know you don't have to have the same blood to be a family.' The wisdom this ten-year-old showed me that day left me knowing that what CASA is doing is working."
Barbara admitted there was a time after a difficult case when she considered leaving CASA. "After Vonna, my Advocacy Supervisor, contacted me about a new family, I knew I could not leave. That was two years ago, and that case has come to an end and changed me forever. I can't imagine not continuing with CASA and being part of such a wonderful organization."
There are children throughout Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham, Henry, Shelby, Spencer, and Trimble Counties waiting for someone like Barbara to give some time, lend an ear, and advocate for their best interests in Court, in school, and more. Can you find the time to change a child's story for the better? Click here to learn more.