As one of eleven children, Dolores Drummond knows it takes a village to raise a child. “My parents taught us compassion and great morals, but when you grow up with ten siblings, sometimes there isn’t enough parent to go around. There were neighbors, teachers, friends and employers who influenced my life and made a difference in the outcome. I’ve always known that paying it forward was the way I wanted to live my life.
And pay it forward she has. Dolores recently retired from her job as a registered nurse at the UC Davis Student Health Center. She and her husband are very proud of their two grown children. Their son works for Humboldt County Food Bank and their daughter is also in the healthcare field. Dolores has volunteered for organizations like the Yolo Crisis Nursery, Fourth and Hope, Community Harvest, Wildlife Conservation and currently works as a volunteer doula at Sutter Davis Hospital. Throughout these experiences, she’s always been interested in helping foster children. While being a foster parent wasn’t feasible for her, she knew that she could make an impact as a CASA volunteer.
Dolores has had her CASA child for several months. “She is only six years old but she knows so much about the system already. It’s nice to take her out and just let her be a kid during our visits.”
Some of Dolores’ CASA child’s favorite activities include showing Dolores all the gymnastics moves she can do, going to the zoo, or simply going to the park. During these visits, Dolores likes to help her CASA child develop skills that will empower her. She is currently teaching her to ride a bike and will be helping her learn to swim. These are two skills that Dolores feels are essential for confidence building.
Dolores sees the importance of the relationships CASAs form with their youth in many of her visits. For example, one visit when Dolores picked her up from school, her CASA child answered with gibberish when she asked her how her day was. “The next question had the same silly answer that made no sense at all so I began speaking her language. Part of the afternoon continued in that gibberish and we just had fun together. I really enjoy our time together. She makes me laugh and is a true sweetheart. It’s an honor to be a part of her life and I strongly recommend the CASA program.”
