Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Bradley and Polk Counties have added four new volunteers to their team of advocates. These advocates do their utmost to lift up the voices of children involved in the court system due to primarily abuse and neglect situations.
The new additions include Tammy Davis, Sarah Dean, Lila Hamon, and Marjorie Parsons. Now that they have been sworn in, they will go on to advocate for a child that is involved in the court system due to no fault of their own. They will act as the voice of the child in court by presenting fact-based recommendations in the best interest of the child to the judge.
“These advocates have worked hard and are very passionate about advocating for the children in Bradley and Polk Counties,” said Advocate Manager Natalie Barrionuevo. “Our program has the capacity to serve around 250 new children each year. We hope to keep growing until every child that needs a voice in court has one.”
“CASA gives me the ability to finally do something and to be that voice for the children,” states Lila Hamon. “My hope is that one-day CASA will be an organization everyone is familiar with, and we will get more and more volunteers.”
The next training session for new advocates will start in August. Those in the community who are interested in becoming a volunteer advocate can learn more by visiting www.casabp.org, emailing outreach@casabp.org, or by calling (423) 472-5800.
CASA is funded under grant contracts with the State of Tennessee, United Way of the Ocoee Region, and The National CASA/GAL Association.
Photo: Sarah Dean, Marjorie Parsons, Advocate Supervisor Rebecca Fugate, Judge Ashley Ivey, Lila Hamon, Advocate Manager Natalie Barrionuevo, and Tammy Davis.