Shared Commitment, Stronger Communities: Common Spirit - Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana Invests in CASA’s Advocacy for Children

Common Spirit - Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana recently awarded a grant to support CASA of the River Region.

CASA of the River Region is grateful to receive support from the Common Spirit - Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana to strengthen our Advocacy Academy & Support Program, helping more children who have experienced abuse and neglect receive consistent, caring volunteer advocacy during Family Court involvement.

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening children and families across our region. While both organizations serve a broader footprint, Jefferson, Shelby, and Bullitt counties represent an important area of overlap where the need for child advocacy remains especially high.

In 2025, CASA served 520 children across our seven-county service area. Of those, 397 children lived in Jefferson, Shelby, and Bullitt counties.

At the same time, the need continues to exceed available volunteer capacity. 332 children were waiting to be matched with a CASA advocate, and about 89% were in Jefferson, Shelby, and Bullitt counties.

These numbers reflect what we see every day: too many children waiting for a steady adult voice in their corner during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

CASA volunteers are community members appointed by Family Court judges to advocate for the best interests of children involved in Dependency, Neglect, and Abuse cases. After completing specialized training provided by CASA, they serve as consistent advocates, helping ensure each child’s needs are understood, their voice is heard, and their long-term wellbeing remains central to court decisions.

This grant strengthens the foundation that makes that work possible. Support from the Common Spirit - Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana helps sustain the leadership, training, supervision, and volunteer support systems that keep CASA’s Advocacy Academy & Support Program strong and effective. In practice, this means better volunteer preparation, stronger retention, and increased capacity to match trained advocates with children who are waiting.

“We are deeply grateful to Common Spirit - Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana for their partnership and investment in our mission,” said Tara Metts Brown, Executive Director of CASA of the River Region. “This support strengthens the systems behind our volunteer advocacy program, helping us better recruit, train, and support volunteers so more children can have someone consistently advocating for their safety and wellbeing.”

Together, CASA and Common Spirit - Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana are helping strengthen communities and improve outcomes for children across the region. We are thankful for their commitment to ensuring more children have the support, stability, and advocacy they deserve.

To learn more about becoming a CASA Volunteer Advocate, visit www.casarr.org/volunteer.