Born and raised in Yolo County, Megan Martinez always wanted to give back to her community. When Megan heard about Yolo County CASA as a human development major at UC Davis, she was intrigued. “I noticed Yolo County CASA online through social media and I also had a friend who was involved in the organization. I’ve always wanted to work with children so it seemed like the perfect way to give back.”
Megan waited a few months after she finished the training to take on her case. “I don’t think a lot of people know that you can go through the training if you feel inspired to become a CASA volunteer and are accepted. Personally I decided to wait a few months and took my case after I finished college.”
Megan had her case, a young boy, just shy of ten months, and loved watching his transformation. “When I first started visiting with him, he was shy and reserved. As our relationship deepened, though, I saw him completely flourish. It was a complete 180 and wonderful to see.”
One visit in particular stands out to Megan. “He was given a new skateboard by his foster parents last Christmas and wanted to try it out. We took it to the skate park and he was so full of joy and happiness. It was fun to see him be a completely carefree kid. At that point I realized that it’s not something all kids have the opportunity to be.”
Although her first case has ended, Megan says she definitely will take on another case at some point. She also encourages others who may want to become a CASA volunteer to sign up for the training. “I am just so captivated by everything that goes on in the dependency system and the role that CASA volunteers can play in helping children through a chaotic time. I am so grateful I decided to become a volunteer.”
She continues, “Being a CASA is an amazing experience. I loved listening to my CASA child talk to me about simple things like school and how his day went. I know a lot of people get nervous about the time commitment but it is something that just comes naturally. The visits I had with my CASA child squickly became a highlight of my week.”
