June 11, 2025 • 29 mins
CASA of Westmoreland, Inc., is a volunteer-based organization providing a voice in the courts on behalf of abused and neglected children in Westmoreland County. The recommendations of these volunteers assist the courts in determining the child’s placement in safe, permanent and nurturing homes. https://www.casaofwestmoreland.org/
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
And welcome in. This is the CEO's You Should Know Podcast.
I'm your host, Johnny heart Well. Let's say aload to
Evan Markowitz from KASA of Westmoreland. Thank you for joining me.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Thanks so much, happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
So tell us everything we need to know about your organization.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
So KASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate and KASA
of Westmoreland is a nonprofit organization based around west Moreland
County and we recruit, train, and supervise volunteers in the
community from all walks of life who advocate in court
and provide a voice to abuse and neglected children in
west Moreland County.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
And what's the history behind the organization.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
So, KASA of west Moreland and west Moreland County actually
started almost twenty years ago, believe it or not. And
it was started by one of the family court judges
in the west Moreland County Courthouse who saw a need
of a way to provide that voice to abuse and
neglected children in Westmoreland County who needed that extra special help.
And so he was able to establish help establish that
(01:01):
organization along with a few other community members in the
county back in two thousand and six and we've been
doing it ever since.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
What kind of volunteers are you looking for?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
So we're looking for volunteers who simply have a passion
for helping children who need their help. And essentially what
the volunteer or advocate does is we work with kids
who've been removed from the home due to abuse and
or neglect. They're going through they're in the foster care system,
and they're going through the court system, going through this
crazy stressful chapter of their life figuring out what's their
(01:32):
next placement going to be. And so, you know, you
have so many people, so many moving parts going on
at one time, and a lot of times these kids
don't have that one consistent adult in their life, especially
throughout this scary chapter. And so what our volunteers do
is they get assigned a case of a child who
(01:54):
have an active court case in the courthouse, and essentially
what they do is they meet with the child once
a month. They check in their current placement, make sure
that they're happy, safe and healthy, if there's anything that
they're in need of, any observations worth noting down. They'll
check in with any other people or places that are
involved in the child's life. For example, if they're in school,
(02:15):
they might check in with the counselor or one of
their teachers, seeing, you know, hey, how are their grades doing,
are they doing any extracurricular activities, are they making friends?
Have you noticed anything that's worth observing? And they gather
all of these observations and put it into a court report.
Every time that the child has a court hearing in
the courthouse, the advocate submits that court report to the
(02:37):
family court judge and it really helps the family court
judge make the best decision possible for that child to
ensure that they're going to end up in a safe, permanent,
and nurturing, loving home.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
So you're not talking, you're not looking for adoptive parents
or foster parents. You're looking for somebody to be an
advocate for the child.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Absolutely, it's just making sure that that child's voice is
being heard, that their needs are being met, and that
the best interests of that child is being met throughout
the life of their case. And it's just ensuring that
that child has someone they can form a bondwidth throughout
this scary time in their life, and it really helps
them during this chapter. It ensures that they have the
best opportunity and they're in the best hands possible to
(03:19):
be able to have a happy and successful life.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
And what's the biggest need for your organization?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
The biggest need is volunteers. So we actually while last
year we served one hundred and forty four abuse neglected
children in Westmoreland County, this year we're expecting to serve
even more and we have almost seventy amazing volunteers in
our program. But it's been such an overwhelming amount of
referrals that have been given to us through the courts
(03:46):
of kids who need an advocate on their case, that
the supply really hasn't been able to meet the demand.
And we actually have a pretty large wait list of
over thirty children who are in need and waiting for
an advocate to be assigned to their case. So we
always have that consistent need to continue to add volunteers
to our program to almost reverse that where the weight
(04:07):
list of children goes down to zero and we actually
have a weight list of advocates waiting to serve a
child in need.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
What is the requirements to be an advocate?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
So you have to be at least twenty one years
of age or over, and it's being able to pass
you know, the regular background checks, you know, criminal child abuse,
those kinds of things, and it's you know, for those
interest in becoming a volunteer, they apply on our website
COSSE of Wesmoreland dot org. We bring them in for
an interview to sit down and see, you know, why
(04:36):
they want to become an advocate, to make sure that
they have the best understanding possible of what their role
as an advocate would entail. And by the end of
that conversation, if you know, it's still a mutual agreement
that you know they want to become an advocate still
and that they would be the best fit to be one.
We then take them through a training class and that's
(04:56):
we have that training class about three times a year,
three to four times a year, and it's around a
six week training class that's very comprehensive. You can either
do it in person or we actually have it virtually
through our website that you can do it through the
comfort of your own home, and it's very interactive and
it basically gives you all the knowledge that you need
to being an advocate for the children that we.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Serve, So you don't need a lot of degree, You
just looking for somebody who has who's empathetic and sympathetic
with what the child is going through.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
We have volunteers that come from all ages, all careers,
all educational backgrounds. Exactly right. It's just someone who has
a kind and caring heart and is willing to make
that commitment to changing a child story in Westmoreland County.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
All right, humor me. Let's say I'm looking to be
a volunteer. Yeah, I've gone through the process of going
through the you know, you know, submitting it something off
your website, and I've passed the background check and all
that the requirements that are required, and I am over
twenty one. Trust me, you want to see my idea?
(06:00):
So I got you. So, what are some of the
things that you're going to ask me? Or what are
some of the things you're going to teach me? What
are the things that I need to know?
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Absolutely? So, you know, in working with the children that
we serve, they've been through things that no child should
ever have to go through. You know, They've been through
an unstable home life, they've been through a situation that
is you know, could be very scary for a child,
and so you're learning how to you know, converse with
(06:30):
a child, how to work with a child who has
been through some significant traumas in their life. And it's
learning how to you know, have specific conversations with that child.
You know, how to learn you know, the different observations
that you need to know about that child. You know,
are they doing well, are they excelling in certain things?
(06:50):
Are there things that they need help with or their
different services that they might need that needs to be
noted down. It's how to gather those different diferent facts
and observations to put into a court report, and how
to write a court report. And it's when you're sitting
in a court hearing, it's you know, the different you
know the steps that it all takes. You know, what
(07:11):
is what does it look like being in a courtroom?
What does it look like sitting in a hearing? And
throughout the training and part of it, as you get
towards the end of it, we'll actually have our trainees
that are going through the training come in and do
a court observation of a live court hearing for an
actual child that's in our program. They'll meet with an
(07:31):
actual advocate who is already a part of our program
and they'll get to learn the inner workings, and they'll
get to ask any questions that they have and you know,
really sit down with us and our team and any
concerns that they may have or you know, it's a
really great learning experience throughout this training. It's really comprehensive.
And when they get through the training, they go through
(07:52):
what's called a graduation ceremony essentially, and they get sworn
in by an actual family court judge in the courthouse.
So that's what makes them that court appointed special advocate.
And throughout the life of their case too, they get
assigned a case once they officially graduate and or sworn in,
and they're not left on an island from the time
they get that case. It's not like okay, well, good luck,
(08:15):
you know, it's something that they get assigned one of
our staff members, which is called an advocate supervisor that
essentially works with them along every step of the way
through the life of their case, and so they're there
to answer any questions they have when they're there for
a court hearing. When they're in the courthouse, that advocate
supervisor will sit there with them, they'll join them, and
(08:37):
they're with them every step of the way to ensure
that the case is going well and that the volunteer
is doing well throughout the process of it too. So
every step of the way and being a volunteer in
our program and being an advocate, you're never left on
an island. You always have that great support system with you,
and I think that's what makes it. That helps make
(08:58):
it an easier process for the volunteer, and it only
makes it all the more meaningful.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
But it takes a certain amount of time to ramp
up to become a court appointed advocate, right, So it.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Does take some time. So the training itself is around
six weeks, and it's something that you know, we'll have
If it's an in person training class, you might come
in to meet with us once for one day out
of that week, each day, you know, each week for
those six weeks. If it's if you're doing it a virtually,
it's going to be you might take on a couple
of chapters and the comfort of your own home, but
(09:32):
you might connect with a staff member to you know,
go through the coursework, to ask any questions you have
and and those kinds of things. So it is very comprehensive,
but it's it's not. We make it so that it's
flexible with with your life. A lot of the volunteers
we have, we have volunteers who are retired, We have
volunteers who work full time jobs. You know. We have
(09:55):
volunteers who have you know, families to take care of
and you know, so it's we want to make sure
that they have flexibility in their life to become a volunteer.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Do you have a lot of volunteers that are maybe participating,
you know, like lawyers or therapists, or we.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Do have some. We do have some. And I think
interestingly enough, though, is that those aren't nearly the main
professions that we see a lot of our volunteers come from.
They come from a lot of different industries. But we
have had some volunteers who come from social work, who
have been a therapist, who have an attorney background. We've
even had advocates who are realtors and work in banking,
(10:34):
and so you get that.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Wide riem to that calling.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
I think it's just the passion some people the work
that we do. Sometimes maybe it comes from their own
life experiences, maybe it's something that hits home a little
bit more, or they've seen people who have even experienced this.
You know, these different tragedies that come about, and you
know the traumas that these children experience. And sometimes it's
just they just hear our mission and think, you know what,
(10:58):
like I have the I have the heart, I have
the passion for this, and I know that I have
what it takes to to make this true impact in
a child's life.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
We're talking with Evan Markowitz of Casa of Westmoreland. You
can get more information at their website, which is Cassa
of Westmoreland dot org. Uh casa it's a Spanish word
mating home. Do you got a lot of people who
think that you're you're some sort of Hispanic organization?
Speaker 2 (11:26):
We do actually had some misconcconceptions from time to time.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
That's just an aside. So, uh, but I think Casa
of West Mark because this is a safe house for
these these kids. I hate to ask it, but I'm
curious what are some of the things that situations that
these kids. So if I want to be a volunteer,
I'm want to be aware of what are some of
(11:52):
the circumstances that these kids are going through.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
There's a lot of variety of things of reasonings why
that the child may have been removed from the home
from times it's buried from. There may be drugs in
the home. There may be one of the parents or
both of the parents, or just the biological family that
they're with, you know, may have been arrested for a
certain crime and is currently incarcerated, or that the child
(12:20):
may have been you know, verbally abused, may have been
physically abused. There's a variety of ways to define abuse
and neglect. They might not be fed, they might not
you know, there's so many different ways to describe what
that child might experience. And the children that we serve
vary from all ages, from birth to aging out at
(12:42):
twenty one. So we've had children who are just newborns
who have just been neglected or have you know, have
been born with you know, you know, let's say they
were born with a mother who had a you know,
a cocaine addiction, you know, and they're in they're born
you know, experiencing that you know, a family member might
(13:04):
be incarcerated, they might have no family that are actually
in the home at this point, and so you get
a variety of factors and different traumas that these children experience.
And it's very unfortunate, but it's what makes the work
we do so meaningful because it gives them a chance
to have an opportunity at having a more meaningful life.
And at the end of the day, our two biggest
(13:25):
outcomes with the children that we work with, Our biggest
outcome that we try to focus on is reunification with
the family. The hope is is that the family are
able to best their issues, They're able to overcome whatever
they've been going through or whatever may have happened. And
you know, the hope is that reunification is possible. Unfortunately,
you know, as you can assume, that's definitely not always
(13:47):
the case. And so the next best outcome for that
child is adoption.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Well, you're not looking for volunteers to be an adoptive
parent or a foster parent, or are you looking for
someone in a big brother or big sister situation either.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
No, it's essentially making sure that that child has a
bond with a adult that has a significant presence and
consistent presence in their life, especially throughout the life of
this case and the scary time and scary chapter of
their life. But at the end of the day, these
volunteers aren't adopting the child. It's it's not like a
big brother, big sister, you know, responsibility and role. They're
(14:27):
strictly meeting with the child in the current placement that
they're in. You know, they're not taking them to you know,
maybe a baseball game or you know, you know, going
through a walk in the park or anything like that.
They're simply meeting with that child in their current placement
and building the bond in that regard. And at the
end of the day, it's it's ensuring that if hey,
(14:47):
if adoption is the best route for the child, you know,
there might some of the children that we work with
are already in the process of being adopted, and so
our advocates may meet with those the foster parents or
the incoming foster parents and making sure that that relationship
is going well, and you know, they'll put in their
report if there's anything they notice that stands out as
(15:08):
they're a really great bond between the child and those
and those foster parents, and just making sure that that
whole process goes smoothly as well.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Does the volunteer or advocate to meet with child services
at all?
Speaker 2 (15:20):
They do. They meet with all different all the different
people in places that are involved in programs that are
involved in that child's life. So we work really closely
with the Children's Bureau of Westmoreland County, working with the
caseworker that's assigned to that case. There may be other
if there's other you know, therapists, or if there's different
programs that are involved in that child's life. Throughout the
(15:42):
life of their case, our advocate will connect with those
different people and places ensuring that So it's nice because
everyone's on the same page throughout the life of the case.
They're all working together to make sure that the best
interest of that particular child is being met. And so,
you know, at times too, you know, it's it's just
you know, a caseworker, they're amazing, but they might have
(16:05):
fifty cases their you know, on their docket at one time.
Our advocates generally focus on just one case at one time,
and on the cases we serve, at times it's just
one child, but at times they're sibling groups as well,
So we try to keep the sibling groups together throughout
this case. And so an advocate might have three children
(16:26):
that are siblings on one case, making sure that the
best interests of all three of the family is being
met and making sure that they're all happy, safe and
healthy and finding that safe, permanent and nurturing homes. And
a lot of times we see that, you know, those
three siblings for example, would get adopted into the same
family and being able to keep that family together, which
(16:46):
is extra special as well.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
How important is it to find new volunteers to be advocates?
Speaker 2 (16:53):
It's incredibly important important, you know, as I was saying,
we have that wait list of over thirty children, and
at one time it was over forty children. And we
have made great strides to bring that weight list down,
but the weight that's still there, you know, and so
there's so many kids who are still in need of
an advocate to be assigned to to their case in
(17:13):
this chapter of their life that they're going through. And
so to continue to find new volunteers is just so important.
It's actually, I think more prevalent than ever.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
So if there's somebody listening who may have a calling
to help, what's the process, what's the first step?
Speaker 2 (17:30):
I think it's going on our website across of Westmoreland
dot org. And if you even have the slightest bit
of interest in becoming a volunteer or learning more go
on our website and apply. You know, we'd love to
have you come in and have that conversation with you
of answering any questions you have, any concerns you may have,
and also making sure we explain the best we can
(17:51):
of the responsibilities of an advocate and what does that
role look like. And we hope by the end of
that conversation that anyone who has interest in becoming a
volunteer is not only still more than interested in taking
on that role, but has all the questions and concerns answered.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
We're talking with Evan Markowitz of KASSA of Westmoreland. When
did you come When did you start with the organization?
Speaker 2 (18:15):
So I've actually been with KASSA Westmoreland for just a
little over three years now. I actually came on as
the development director originally, so handling all the fundraising and
grant writing, and I transitioned into the executive director role
March of last year. So it's been just a little
over a year now in that role. But love in
every second of it. I love getting to work for
(18:36):
this organization.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
And what was your background?
Speaker 2 (18:38):
So I actually I grew up in Murraysville, so I'm
local in Westmoreland County. I went to school at Supper
Rock University with a background in non profit management and philanthropy.
And in my professional background, you know, since you know,
graduating college, it's been a mixture of sales and a
nonprofit experience. I've always had that pass for nonprofit. So
(19:02):
just very grateful that I'm able to work in this field,
but to work for a program that's so impactful. But
and it's it's not just the amazing staff that we
have that that you know, are coming in every day
to advance our mission, but it's our amazing board, it's
our unbelievable volunteers who uh, you know, take this time
(19:23):
out of their out of their days, you know, take
this time out of their life to make sure that
they're making an impact on a child's life in Westmoreland County.
It's it's it's not an easy thing to do, uh,
but it's something that it's it changes your life as well,
and so to be able to be a part of
all that, uh, just it makes it all the more special.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
You took the lead over a little over a year ago.
What did you learn, what what happened? Was there anything
that you you weren't expecting or was there something Is
there something that you wanted to accomplish that you would
like to see fulfilled.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
There's been a ton of lessons along the way. I mean,
it's amazing. I don't think I ever realized how quickly
a year actually goes by, and it's something that I'm
really learning and I continue to learn. You know, what
it means to be a leader, and you know a
lot of times, you know, something I think I learned
really quickly is just it's just trusting the people that
are involved in your organization. You know, I'm not alone
(20:18):
in this work, and the work that we do wouldn't
be possible without our amazing volunteers, without our amazing dedicated
staff and board, and so it's just being able to
you know, you really build that trust with everyone you
work with, where we're all on the same page that
you know, this is the mission we're doing, and we
love what we do and we're just going to keep
(20:40):
doing it every single day. And so, you know, I
think it's working a nonprofit. There's so many challenges to
continue to navigate, especially in today's world, and so I
just try to if anything I've learned it's just to
slow it down, take it one day at a time
and just you know, appreciate all the happy and positive
moments and then whenever there's any tough moments, it's just
(21:01):
to learn from it and take it in stride and
one challenge at a time.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
How many full time employees do you have?
Speaker 2 (21:07):
We have seven full time employees and we continue to grow.
That number will probably continue to grow over the next
year or two. And so you know, while we're a
small office, the work that we do is mighty and
you know, I'm hoping we continue to grow.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
And how many volunteers we're on seventy volunteers and then
how many people on the board.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Thirteen I think in total. So it's it's a lot
of cats out and it's just everyone that's a part
of this organization is just it's so amazing.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Well in addition to the full time employees, the volunteers,
the board, but you also have to keep track of
all the cases that are going on. That's that's quite daunting.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
And that's what that's what having. We have an amazing
program director on our team and our advocate supervisors. We
have three amazing people in that role and they do
such an incredible job. I'd be lost without them, to
be honest. They do such an incredible job of you know,
managing that case load and working and building all of
the relationships that they do with each and every one
(22:11):
of our volunteers. And so we actually have one of
you know, there are several different costs of programs actually
not only throughout the country, but throughout the state of Pennsylvania,
and they're all specific to each county that is throughout
Westmoreland or throughout you know, Pennsylvania, and so you know,
(22:32):
we actually have one of the highest advocate retention rates
in the state for all the local cost of programs
in the state of Pennsylvania, it's over ninety percent. And
you know, when when you take a case and when
that case is over, you know, we fully understand if
an advocate wants to take some time off and they
have you know, they can take up to a year
(22:53):
off of being able to just not take on another case.
And so many of our volunteers the second that one
case ends, they're ready to take on another. And that
just shows the dedication of not only our advocates but
our staff. They build such great relationships with each and
every one of our volunteers. That the volunteers love working
(23:15):
with our staff. But and it's not just they love
working with the children obviously, and that the cases that
they take on, but it's the relationships that you build
all the way around that I think that keeps these
volunteers wanting to come back and make a difference.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Now, why is that? Why do you think that is?
Speaker 2 (23:31):
I just think that, first off, our staff is just
so special, you know. I think they just they love
this mission. You know, I think they could work anywhere
they want. You know, there are some of the most
amazing people I've ever met, and they choose to come
in and advance our mission every single day, and they
love building those relationships with our volunteers as well. They
(23:54):
love the children that we get to serve, but they
are so We're all so grateful for the volunteers that
truly make it happen, because we'd be lost without our advocates,
and so they love building those relationships and it you know,
I think it goes the same for our advocates. They
love working with the children we serve, They love the
(24:15):
impact it makes, but they love the simplicity of it
is of getting to work with our team, and how
easy it is to that we're just a phone call
away or just a text an email away anytime that
you need to reach us to talk about your case,
to ask a question that you may have, or maybe
it's just you just had a really, you know, yet
a tough meeting and you just really need to vent
(24:37):
it out and talk about it. And I think that's
what makes that relationship so special.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
For somebody who's just tuning in. Tell us everything we
need to know about. Casa of Westmoreland.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
So KASSA Westmoreland is a nonprofit organization based in Westmoreland County.
We recruit, train, and supervise volunteers in the community from
all walks of life who advocate and provide a voice
to abuse neglected children in Westmoreland, CA.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
And you're looking for volunteers, but you know you have
a number of volunteers, you have a number of full
time employees. That's a lot of funding. Where do you
find that funding?
Speaker 2 (25:10):
We get a lot of our funding through donors throughout
the community. We have the most amazing donors and dedicated
We have so many donors who have been even supporting
us since the beginning. We have two. We have actually
have a couple of fundraising events that are coming up
this year. We have our annual it's actually a golf
and tennis tournament. Believe we have two and one. Can't
(25:30):
get wrong with that, right it at the same time. Yes,
we give it a shot, you know. Or so seriously,
what is so the golf outings that. So this is
on Friday, August twenty second, and the golf outing itself
is at the Latrobe Country Club, and we have the
tennis tournament at the same time at the Latrobe High
School tennis courts, and so they both play at the
(25:52):
same time, and then we all come back to the
country club afterwards and kind of have a nice you know,
a nice dinner, and it gives everyone a chance to
come together. So it's every time I talk about that
event before, we're like, wait, did you say tennis. Yeah,
they usually don't go well together.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
It's like a like an Ironman competition. I have to
swim and ride a bike, you have to play tennis
and golf.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
All how many people love both golf antennis. It's a
good combination, all right.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
So that's coming up at the end of August.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
I get Friday August twenty second, and then we have
our annual gala that's on Saturday, November eighth. It's at
the Live Casino located in Greensburg at the Westmoreland Mall.
And so those are two very special events that we
have every year and it makes a huge difference in
our fundraising efforts to ensure that we can continue to
grow and sustain our mission. But we we also are
(26:40):
constantly applying for different you know, foundation and corporate grants
across you know, across Pennsylvania, and it's just always trying
to grow our donor bases. Well, you know, we're always
looking for you know, general donations, any support that we
can find throughout the community. We're always looking for. And
we're just so grateful for our like I said, our
(27:02):
amazing donors that make it all possible.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
All right, we only have a couple of minutes left,
So what is what is the one or two things
you really want people to know about your organization?
Speaker 2 (27:11):
It's just such an impactful organization. You would be amazed
the impact that being an advocate in our program, you'd
be amazed the impact that it truly makes on a
child's life. I you know, there are so many success
stories that we've had of children who have been in
this you know, they're going through this scary, scary time
(27:32):
in their life, this unknown chapter. But by having an
advocate to ensure that you know, they have a voice
and that their best interests are being met throughout this
time in their life, that they've been placed in such
a happy place, they've been able to be in an
amazing position to have a happy and successful life and
(27:52):
to go on and to one to just be a
kid and be able to enjoy what every kid should
be able to enjoy this time of their life, but
to grow up and to do the most amazing things
in their life, and to just live this amazing life
that we get to live. And that's what being an
advocate is. It's it's giving that child a chance to
(28:12):
not only be a child, but to have the life
that they deserve.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Is there any misconceptions of being an advocate that people
don't know exactly what they need to do.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
I think people a lot of people do assume that
one that they are by being an advocate, they're adopting
that child, they're coming into their home, and that's not
the case. You know, they're they're visiting the child and
their current foster care placement, and they're just simply meeting
with them to ensure that their best interests are being
met and they're building that bond with that child. And
(28:43):
so that's a that's a common misconception that we hear,
but that that's definitely not the case.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
All right. If somebody is looking to be a want
more information on becoming a volunteer or to donate, or
to to know more about the organization, what's your website again.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Please go to KASSA of Westmoreland dot org. If you
have even the slightest interest of even becoming a volunteer
in our program or even becoming a donor, we'd love
to have you join our program and hope you reach
out to us to learn more.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Again, the website is CASA of Westmoreland dot org. Evan
Maarkowitz of Casa of Westmoreland, thank you so much. This
has been a pleasure. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Likewise, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
This has been the CEOs you Should Know podcast, showcasing
businesses that are driving our regional economy. Part of iHeartMedia's
commitment to the communities we serve. I'm Johnny heartwell, thank
you so much for listening
And welcome in. This is the CEO's You Should Know Podcast.
I'm your host, Johnny heart Well. Let's say aload to
Evan Markowitz from KASA of Westmoreland. Thank you for joining me.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Thanks so much, happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
So tell us everything we need to know about your organization.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
So KASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate and KASA
of Westmoreland is a nonprofit organization based around west Moreland
County and we recruit, train, and supervise volunteers in the
community from all walks of life who advocate in court
and provide a voice to abuse and neglected children in
west Moreland County.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
And what's the history behind the organization.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
So, KASA of west Moreland and west Moreland County actually
started almost twenty years ago, believe it or not. And
it was started by one of the family court judges
in the west Moreland County Courthouse who saw a need
of a way to provide that voice to abuse and
neglected children in Westmoreland County who needed that extra special help.
And so he was able to establish help establish that
(01:01):
organization along with a few other community members in the
county back in two thousand and six and we've been
doing it ever since.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
What kind of volunteers are you looking for?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
So we're looking for volunteers who simply have a passion
for helping children who need their help. And essentially what
the volunteer or advocate does is we work with kids
who've been removed from the home due to abuse and
or neglect. They're going through they're in the foster care system,
and they're going through the court system, going through this
crazy stressful chapter of their life figuring out what's their
(01:32):
next placement going to be. And so, you know, you
have so many people, so many moving parts going on
at one time, and a lot of times these kids
don't have that one consistent adult in their life, especially
throughout this scary chapter. And so what our volunteers do
is they get assigned a case of a child who
(01:54):
have an active court case in the courthouse, and essentially
what they do is they meet with the child once
a month. They check in their current placement, make sure
that they're happy, safe and healthy, if there's anything that
they're in need of, any observations worth noting down. They'll
check in with any other people or places that are
involved in the child's life. For example, if they're in school,
(02:15):
they might check in with the counselor or one of
their teachers, seeing, you know, hey, how are their grades doing,
are they doing any extracurricular activities, are they making friends?
Have you noticed anything that's worth observing? And they gather
all of these observations and put it into a court report.
Every time that the child has a court hearing in
the courthouse, the advocate submits that court report to the
(02:37):
family court judge and it really helps the family court
judge make the best decision possible for that child to
ensure that they're going to end up in a safe, permanent,
and nurturing, loving home.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
So you're not talking, you're not looking for adoptive parents
or foster parents. You're looking for somebody to be an
advocate for the child.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Absolutely, it's just making sure that that child's voice is
being heard, that their needs are being met, and that
the best interests of that child is being met throughout
the life of their case. And it's just ensuring that
that child has someone they can form a bondwidth throughout
this scary time in their life, and it really helps
them during this chapter. It ensures that they have the
best opportunity and they're in the best hands possible to
(03:19):
be able to have a happy and successful life.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
And what's the biggest need for your organization?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
The biggest need is volunteers. So we actually while last
year we served one hundred and forty four abuse neglected
children in Westmoreland County, this year we're expecting to serve
even more and we have almost seventy amazing volunteers in
our program. But it's been such an overwhelming amount of
referrals that have been given to us through the courts
(03:46):
of kids who need an advocate on their case, that
the supply really hasn't been able to meet the demand.
And we actually have a pretty large wait list of
over thirty children who are in need and waiting for
an advocate to be assigned to their case. So we
always have that consistent need to continue to add volunteers
to our program to almost reverse that where the weight
(04:07):
list of children goes down to zero and we actually
have a weight list of advocates waiting to serve a
child in need.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
What is the requirements to be an advocate?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
So you have to be at least twenty one years
of age or over, and it's being able to pass
you know, the regular background checks, you know, criminal child abuse,
those kinds of things, and it's you know, for those
interest in becoming a volunteer, they apply on our website
COSSE of Wesmoreland dot org. We bring them in for
an interview to sit down and see, you know, why
(04:36):
they want to become an advocate, to make sure that
they have the best understanding possible of what their role
as an advocate would entail. And by the end of
that conversation, if you know, it's still a mutual agreement
that you know they want to become an advocate still
and that they would be the best fit to be one.
We then take them through a training class and that's
(04:56):
we have that training class about three times a year,
three to four times a year, and it's around a
six week training class that's very comprehensive. You can either
do it in person or we actually have it virtually
through our website that you can do it through the
comfort of your own home, and it's very interactive and
it basically gives you all the knowledge that you need
to being an advocate for the children that we.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Serve, So you don't need a lot of degree, You
just looking for somebody who has who's empathetic and sympathetic
with what the child is going through.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
We have volunteers that come from all ages, all careers,
all educational backgrounds. Exactly right. It's just someone who has
a kind and caring heart and is willing to make
that commitment to changing a child story in Westmoreland County.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
All right, humor me. Let's say I'm looking to be
a volunteer. Yeah, I've gone through the process of going
through the you know, you know, submitting it something off
your website, and I've passed the background check and all
that the requirements that are required, and I am over
twenty one. Trust me, you want to see my idea?
(06:00):
So I got you. So, what are some of the
things that you're going to ask me? Or what are
some of the things you're going to teach me? What
are the things that I need to know?
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Absolutely? So, you know, in working with the children that
we serve, they've been through things that no child should
ever have to go through. You know, They've been through
an unstable home life, they've been through a situation that
is you know, could be very scary for a child,
and so you're learning how to you know, converse with
(06:30):
a child, how to work with a child who has
been through some significant traumas in their life. And it's
learning how to you know, have specific conversations with that child.
You know, how to learn you know, the different observations
that you need to know about that child. You know,
are they doing well, are they excelling in certain things?
(06:50):
Are there things that they need help with or their
different services that they might need that needs to be
noted down. It's how to gather those different diferent facts
and observations to put into a court report, and how
to write a court report. And it's when you're sitting
in a court hearing, it's you know, the different you
know the steps that it all takes. You know, what
(07:11):
is what does it look like being in a courtroom?
What does it look like sitting in a hearing? And
throughout the training and part of it, as you get
towards the end of it, we'll actually have our trainees
that are going through the training come in and do
a court observation of a live court hearing for an
actual child that's in our program. They'll meet with an
(07:31):
actual advocate who is already a part of our program
and they'll get to learn the inner workings, and they'll
get to ask any questions that they have and you know,
really sit down with us and our team and any
concerns that they may have or you know, it's a
really great learning experience throughout this training. It's really comprehensive.
And when they get through the training, they go through
(07:52):
what's called a graduation ceremony essentially, and they get sworn
in by an actual family court judge in the courthouse.
So that's what makes them that court appointed special advocate.
And throughout the life of their case too, they get
assigned a case once they officially graduate and or sworn in,
and they're not left on an island from the time
they get that case. It's not like okay, well, good luck,
(08:15):
you know, it's something that they get assigned one of
our staff members, which is called an advocate supervisor that
essentially works with them along every step of the way
through the life of their case, and so they're there
to answer any questions they have when they're there for
a court hearing. When they're in the courthouse, that advocate
supervisor will sit there with them, they'll join them, and
(08:37):
they're with them every step of the way to ensure
that the case is going well and that the volunteer
is doing well throughout the process of it too. So
every step of the way and being a volunteer in
our program and being an advocate, you're never left on
an island. You always have that great support system with you,
and I think that's what makes it. That helps make
(08:58):
it an easier process for the volunteer, and it only
makes it all the more meaningful.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
But it takes a certain amount of time to ramp
up to become a court appointed advocate, right, So it.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Does take some time. So the training itself is around
six weeks, and it's something that you know, we'll have
If it's an in person training class, you might come
in to meet with us once for one day out
of that week, each day, you know, each week for
those six weeks. If it's if you're doing it a virtually,
it's going to be you might take on a couple
of chapters and the comfort of your own home, but
(09:32):
you might connect with a staff member to you know,
go through the coursework, to ask any questions you have
and and those kinds of things. So it is very comprehensive,
but it's it's not. We make it so that it's
flexible with with your life. A lot of the volunteers
we have, we have volunteers who are retired, We have
volunteers who work full time jobs. You know. We have
(09:55):
volunteers who have you know, families to take care of
and you know, so it's we want to make sure
that they have flexibility in their life to become a volunteer.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Do you have a lot of volunteers that are maybe participating,
you know, like lawyers or therapists, or we.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Do have some. We do have some. And I think
interestingly enough, though, is that those aren't nearly the main
professions that we see a lot of our volunteers come from.
They come from a lot of different industries. But we
have had some volunteers who come from social work, who
have been a therapist, who have an attorney background. We've
even had advocates who are realtors and work in banking,
(10:34):
and so you get that.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Wide riem to that calling.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
I think it's just the passion some people the work
that we do. Sometimes maybe it comes from their own
life experiences, maybe it's something that hits home a little
bit more, or they've seen people who have even experienced this.
You know, these different tragedies that come about, and you
know the traumas that these children experience. And sometimes it's
just they just hear our mission and think, you know what,
(10:58):
like I have the I have the heart, I have
the passion for this, and I know that I have
what it takes to to make this true impact in
a child's life.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
We're talking with Evan Markowitz of Casa of Westmoreland. You
can get more information at their website, which is Cassa
of Westmoreland dot org. Uh casa it's a Spanish word
mating home. Do you got a lot of people who
think that you're you're some sort of Hispanic organization?
Speaker 2 (11:26):
We do actually had some misconcconceptions from time to time.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
That's just an aside. So, uh, but I think Casa
of West Mark because this is a safe house for
these these kids. I hate to ask it, but I'm
curious what are some of the things that situations that
these kids. So if I want to be a volunteer,
I'm want to be aware of what are some of
(11:52):
the circumstances that these kids are going through.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
There's a lot of variety of things of reasonings why
that the child may have been removed from the home
from times it's buried from. There may be drugs in
the home. There may be one of the parents or
both of the parents, or just the biological family that
they're with, you know, may have been arrested for a
certain crime and is currently incarcerated, or that the child
(12:20):
may have been you know, verbally abused, may have been
physically abused. There's a variety of ways to define abuse
and neglect. They might not be fed, they might not
you know, there's so many different ways to describe what
that child might experience. And the children that we serve
vary from all ages, from birth to aging out at
(12:42):
twenty one. So we've had children who are just newborns
who have just been neglected or have you know, have
been born with you know, you know, let's say they
were born with a mother who had a you know,
a cocaine addiction, you know, and they're in they're born
you know, experiencing that you know, a family member might
(13:04):
be incarcerated, they might have no family that are actually
in the home at this point, and so you get
a variety of factors and different traumas that these children experience.
And it's very unfortunate, but it's what makes the work
we do so meaningful because it gives them a chance
to have an opportunity at having a more meaningful life.
And at the end of the day, our two biggest
(13:25):
outcomes with the children that we work with, Our biggest
outcome that we try to focus on is reunification with
the family. The hope is is that the family are
able to best their issues, They're able to overcome whatever
they've been going through or whatever may have happened. And
you know, the hope is that reunification is possible. Unfortunately,
you know, as you can assume, that's definitely not always
(13:47):
the case. And so the next best outcome for that
child is adoption.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Well, you're not looking for volunteers to be an adoptive
parent or a foster parent, or are you looking for
someone in a big brother or big sister situation either.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
No, it's essentially making sure that that child has a
bond with a adult that has a significant presence and
consistent presence in their life, especially throughout the life of
this case and the scary time and scary chapter of
their life. But at the end of the day, these
volunteers aren't adopting the child. It's it's not like a
big brother, big sister, you know, responsibility and role. They're
(14:27):
strictly meeting with the child in the current placement that
they're in. You know, they're not taking them to you know,
maybe a baseball game or you know, you know, going
through a walk in the park or anything like that.
They're simply meeting with that child in their current placement
and building the bond in that regard. And at the
end of the day, it's it's ensuring that if hey,
(14:47):
if adoption is the best route for the child, you know,
there might some of the children that we work with
are already in the process of being adopted, and so
our advocates may meet with those the foster parents or
the incoming foster parents and making sure that that relationship
is going well, and you know, they'll put in their
report if there's anything they notice that stands out as
(15:08):
they're a really great bond between the child and those
and those foster parents, and just making sure that that
whole process goes smoothly as well.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Does the volunteer or advocate to meet with child services
at all?
Speaker 2 (15:20):
They do. They meet with all different all the different
people in places that are involved in programs that are
involved in that child's life. So we work really closely
with the Children's Bureau of Westmoreland County, working with the
caseworker that's assigned to that case. There may be other
if there's other you know, therapists, or if there's different
programs that are involved in that child's life. Throughout the
(15:42):
life of their case, our advocate will connect with those
different people and places ensuring that So it's nice because
everyone's on the same page throughout the life of the case.
They're all working together to make sure that the best
interest of that particular child is being met. And so,
you know, at times too, you know, it's it's just
you know, a caseworker, they're amazing, but they might have
(16:05):
fifty cases their you know, on their docket at one time.
Our advocates generally focus on just one case at one time,
and on the cases we serve, at times it's just
one child, but at times they're sibling groups as well,
So we try to keep the sibling groups together throughout
this case. And so an advocate might have three children
(16:26):
that are siblings on one case, making sure that the
best interests of all three of the family is being
met and making sure that they're all happy, safe and
healthy and finding that safe, permanent and nurturing homes. And
a lot of times we see that, you know, those
three siblings for example, would get adopted into the same
family and being able to keep that family together, which
(16:46):
is extra special as well.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
How important is it to find new volunteers to be advocates?
Speaker 2 (16:53):
It's incredibly important important, you know, as I was saying,
we have that wait list of over thirty children, and
at one time it was over forty children. And we
have made great strides to bring that weight list down,
but the weight that's still there, you know, and so
there's so many kids who are still in need of
an advocate to be assigned to to their case in
(17:13):
this chapter of their life that they're going through. And
so to continue to find new volunteers is just so important.
It's actually, I think more prevalent than ever.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
So if there's somebody listening who may have a calling
to help, what's the process, what's the first step?
Speaker 2 (17:30):
I think it's going on our website across of Westmoreland
dot org. And if you even have the slightest bit
of interest in becoming a volunteer or learning more go
on our website and apply. You know, we'd love to
have you come in and have that conversation with you
of answering any questions you have, any concerns you may have,
and also making sure we explain the best we can
(17:51):
of the responsibilities of an advocate and what does that
role look like. And we hope by the end of
that conversation that anyone who has interest in becoming a
volunteer is not only still more than interested in taking
on that role, but has all the questions and concerns answered.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
We're talking with Evan Markowitz of KASSA of Westmoreland. When
did you come When did you start with the organization?
Speaker 2 (18:15):
So I've actually been with KASSA Westmoreland for just a
little over three years now. I actually came on as
the development director originally, so handling all the fundraising and
grant writing, and I transitioned into the executive director role
March of last year. So it's been just a little
over a year now in that role. But love in
every second of it. I love getting to work for
(18:36):
this organization.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
And what was your background?
Speaker 2 (18:38):
So I actually I grew up in Murraysville, so I'm
local in Westmoreland County. I went to school at Supper
Rock University with a background in non profit management and philanthropy.
And in my professional background, you know, since you know,
graduating college, it's been a mixture of sales and a
nonprofit experience. I've always had that pass for nonprofit. So
(19:02):
just very grateful that I'm able to work in this field,
but to work for a program that's so impactful. But
and it's it's not just the amazing staff that we
have that that you know, are coming in every day
to advance our mission, but it's our amazing board, it's
our unbelievable volunteers who uh, you know, take this time
(19:23):
out of their out of their days, you know, take
this time out of their life to make sure that
they're making an impact on a child's life in Westmoreland County.
It's it's it's not an easy thing to do, uh,
but it's something that it's it changes your life as well,
and so to be able to be a part of
all that, uh, just it makes it all the more special.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
You took the lead over a little over a year ago.
What did you learn, what what happened? Was there anything
that you you weren't expecting or was there something Is
there something that you wanted to accomplish that you would
like to see fulfilled.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
There's been a ton of lessons along the way. I mean,
it's amazing. I don't think I ever realized how quickly
a year actually goes by, and it's something that I'm
really learning and I continue to learn. You know, what
it means to be a leader, and you know a
lot of times, you know, something I think I learned
really quickly is just it's just trusting the people that
are involved in your organization. You know, I'm not alone
(20:18):
in this work, and the work that we do wouldn't
be possible without our amazing volunteers, without our amazing dedicated
staff and board, and so it's just being able to
you know, you really build that trust with everyone you
work with, where we're all on the same page that
you know, this is the mission we're doing, and we
love what we do and we're just going to keep
(20:40):
doing it every single day. And so, you know, I
think it's working a nonprofit. There's so many challenges to
continue to navigate, especially in today's world, and so I
just try to if anything I've learned it's just to
slow it down, take it one day at a time
and just you know, appreciate all the happy and positive
moments and then whenever there's any tough moments, it's just
(21:01):
to learn from it and take it in stride and
one challenge at a time.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
How many full time employees do you have?
Speaker 2 (21:07):
We have seven full time employees and we continue to grow.
That number will probably continue to grow over the next
year or two. And so you know, while we're a
small office, the work that we do is mighty and
you know, I'm hoping we continue to grow.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
And how many volunteers we're on seventy volunteers and then
how many people on the board.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Thirteen I think in total. So it's it's a lot
of cats out and it's just everyone that's a part
of this organization is just it's so amazing.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Well in addition to the full time employees, the volunteers,
the board, but you also have to keep track of
all the cases that are going on. That's that's quite daunting.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
And that's what that's what having. We have an amazing
program director on our team and our advocate supervisors. We
have three amazing people in that role and they do
such an incredible job. I'd be lost without them, to
be honest. They do such an incredible job of you know,
managing that case load and working and building all of
the relationships that they do with each and every one
(22:11):
of our volunteers. And so we actually have one of
you know, there are several different costs of programs actually
not only throughout the country, but throughout the state of Pennsylvania,
and they're all specific to each county that is throughout
Westmoreland or throughout you know, Pennsylvania, and so you know,
(22:32):
we actually have one of the highest advocate retention rates
in the state for all the local cost of programs
in the state of Pennsylvania, it's over ninety percent. And
you know, when when you take a case and when
that case is over, you know, we fully understand if
an advocate wants to take some time off and they
have you know, they can take up to a year
(22:53):
off of being able to just not take on another case.
And so many of our volunteers the second that one
case ends, they're ready to take on another. And that
just shows the dedication of not only our advocates but
our staff. They build such great relationships with each and
every one of our volunteers. That the volunteers love working
(23:15):
with our staff. But and it's not just they love
working with the children obviously, and that the cases that
they take on, but it's the relationships that you build
all the way around that I think that keeps these
volunteers wanting to come back and make a difference.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Now, why is that? Why do you think that is?
Speaker 2 (23:31):
I just think that, first off, our staff is just
so special, you know. I think they just they love
this mission. You know, I think they could work anywhere
they want. You know, there are some of the most
amazing people I've ever met, and they choose to come
in and advance our mission every single day, and they
love building those relationships with our volunteers as well. They
(23:54):
love the children that we get to serve, but they
are so We're all so grateful for the volunteers that
truly make it happen, because we'd be lost without our advocates,
and so they love building those relationships and it you know,
I think it goes the same for our advocates. They
love working with the children we serve, They love the
(24:15):
impact it makes, but they love the simplicity of it
is of getting to work with our team, and how
easy it is to that we're just a phone call
away or just a text an email away anytime that
you need to reach us to talk about your case,
to ask a question that you may have, or maybe
it's just you just had a really, you know, yet
a tough meeting and you just really need to vent
(24:37):
it out and talk about it. And I think that's
what makes that relationship so special.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
For somebody who's just tuning in. Tell us everything we
need to know about. Casa of Westmoreland.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
So KASSA Westmoreland is a nonprofit organization based in Westmoreland County.
We recruit, train, and supervise volunteers in the community from
all walks of life who advocate and provide a voice
to abuse neglected children in Westmoreland, CA.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
And you're looking for volunteers, but you know you have
a number of volunteers, you have a number of full
time employees. That's a lot of funding. Where do you
find that funding?
Speaker 2 (25:10):
We get a lot of our funding through donors throughout
the community. We have the most amazing donors and dedicated
We have so many donors who have been even supporting
us since the beginning. We have two. We have actually
have a couple of fundraising events that are coming up
this year. We have our annual it's actually a golf
and tennis tournament. Believe we have two and one. Can't
(25:30):
get wrong with that, right it at the same time. Yes,
we give it a shot, you know. Or so seriously,
what is so the golf outings that. So this is
on Friday, August twenty second, and the golf outing itself
is at the Latrobe Country Club, and we have the
tennis tournament at the same time at the Latrobe High
School tennis courts, and so they both play at the
(25:52):
same time, and then we all come back to the
country club afterwards and kind of have a nice you know,
a nice dinner, and it gives everyone a chance to
come together. So it's every time I talk about that
event before, we're like, wait, did you say tennis. Yeah,
they usually don't go well together.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
It's like a like an Ironman competition. I have to
swim and ride a bike, you have to play tennis
and golf.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
All how many people love both golf antennis. It's a
good combination, all right.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
So that's coming up at the end of August.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
I get Friday August twenty second, and then we have
our annual gala that's on Saturday, November eighth. It's at
the Live Casino located in Greensburg at the Westmoreland Mall.
And so those are two very special events that we
have every year and it makes a huge difference in
our fundraising efforts to ensure that we can continue to
grow and sustain our mission. But we we also are
(26:40):
constantly applying for different you know, foundation and corporate grants
across you know, across Pennsylvania, and it's just always trying
to grow our donor bases. Well, you know, we're always
looking for you know, general donations, any support that we
can find throughout the community. We're always looking for. And
we're just so grateful for our like I said, our
(27:02):
amazing donors that make it all possible.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
All right, we only have a couple of minutes left,
So what is what is the one or two things
you really want people to know about your organization?
Speaker 2 (27:11):
It's just such an impactful organization. You would be amazed
the impact that being an advocate in our program, you'd
be amazed the impact that it truly makes on a
child's life. I you know, there are so many success
stories that we've had of children who have been in
this you know, they're going through this scary, scary time
(27:32):
in their life, this unknown chapter. But by having an
advocate to ensure that you know, they have a voice
and that their best interests are being met throughout this
time in their life, that they've been placed in such
a happy place, they've been able to be in an
amazing position to have a happy and successful life and
(27:52):
to go on and to one to just be a
kid and be able to enjoy what every kid should
be able to enjoy this time of their life, but
to grow up and to do the most amazing things
in their life, and to just live this amazing life
that we get to live. And that's what being an
advocate is. It's it's giving that child a chance to
(28:12):
not only be a child, but to have the life
that they deserve.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Is there any misconceptions of being an advocate that people
don't know exactly what they need to do.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
I think people a lot of people do assume that
one that they are by being an advocate, they're adopting
that child, they're coming into their home, and that's not
the case. You know, they're they're visiting the child and
their current foster care placement, and they're just simply meeting
with them to ensure that their best interests are being
met and they're building that bond with that child. And
(28:43):
so that's a that's a common misconception that we hear,
but that that's definitely not the case.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
All right. If somebody is looking to be a want
more information on becoming a volunteer or to donate, or
to to know more about the organization, what's your website again.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Please go to KASSA of Westmoreland dot org. If you
have even the slightest interest of even becoming a volunteer
in our program or even becoming a donor, we'd love
to have you join our program and hope you reach
out to us to learn more.
Speaker 1 (29:13):
Again, the website is CASA of Westmoreland dot org. Evan
Maarkowitz of Casa of Westmoreland, thank you so much. This
has been a pleasure. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Likewise, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
This has been the CEOs you Should Know podcast, showcasing
businesses that are driving our regional economy. Part of iHeartMedia's
commitment to the communities we serve. I'm Johnny heartwell, thank
you so much for listening
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