Originally from the Phillipines, Alma Drabkin has called Davis home for the past 12 years. As she was looking to become more involved in the community, she heard about Yolo County CASA from a friend who was a CASA volunteer in Sacramento. Then, her husband saw an article in the newspaper and she decided to apply.
“Service has always been important to me. When I worked as an attorney, I always had pro bono clients. There has never been a time in my life where I haven’t been doing something to give back to others. As a mother of two children, I am especially drawn to do something where I can draw upon my own experiences to help children in need.”
Alma went through the CASA training in the fall of 2017 and has had her CASA kid, an elementary school-aged girl, since January of this year. “At first she was really shy but our relationship has really developed to the point where she can be very open with me and confide in me now.”
One memory that really stands out to Alma is when she and her CASA child went to a Chinese restaurant together. “She didn’t know the name or address of the restaurant but was able to tell me how to get there from memory. She said she hadn’t been there in a few years but loved that restaurant because her family used to go there and they were happy then. When you think about it, that’s a lot for a young child to remember and say. It really drives home what children in the dependency system are going through. She’s had to grow up fast to survive.”
Another special memory is when Alma was able to get her CASA kid a grant for art supplies over the summer through the Yolo Children’s Fund. “She knew she had 250 dollars to spend and she very carefully picked out each thing. She even wanted to purchase things in increments. You could tell she had never had something like that before and wanted to take it slow and make sure she spent it ‘right.’
To anyone considering becoming a CASA volunteer, Alma says to just jump in. “A lot of being a CASA volunteer is simply showing up for the child, and the best way to change the course of the Earth is through children. Every child needs someone but not every child has a fair chance at that. You have the opportunity to change a child’s life through CASA.”
