Cathy Hackett first heard about Yolo County CASA through Board Member Mary Patricia Whelan-Miille when their kids played soccer together. “She used to talk about her board position with Yolo County CASA and the mission of the organization just really struck me. I’ve always known it’s an organization I want to support.”
Cathy currently works in the North Davis Elementary School office. She has three children, and three grandchildren. “Both personally and professionally, I know what children need to thrive. I often see CASA volunteers come to pick up their foster youth from school and I see what a necessity the role is. Really it’s a beautiful community of people who are coming together to advocate for children whose parents are temporarily unable to. For these reasons, I am dedicated to giving my philanthropic support to Yolo County CASA.”
Cathy describes Yolo County CASA as a circle of community. Through her work, she sees a lot of CASA volunteers who she knows from when her kids were small, who are now giving back. “It’s a beautiful circle of community. These friends have raised their children and now they are helping foster children. Working in the schools, I really see the need that foster children have for a trusted adult relationship, and Yolo County CASA fills that beautifully.”
Cathy acknowledges that one person can’t be everything to a foster child, but they can certainly make a profound impact. “While a CASA volunteer can’t be everything to a foster child, if they are their ‘somebody’ when they really need it, that’s invaluable. You hear so many stories where a CASA volunteer fills an important role—like dropping her CASA youth off at college or taking his CASA youth to the zoo for the first time.”
To anyone searching for an organization to support, Cathy recommends looking into Yolo County CASA. “I am just so impressed with how Yolo County CASA serves so many people with such a lean staff. They are incredibly hard working and I want to help them reach their very important goal of providing a CASA volunteer to every foster child in Yolo County someday.”
