Jamie Madison is a Davisite through and through. “My parents were among the first professors to work at UC Davis when it became its own university. In fact, they were among a group of PhD’s from Cornell who all drove across the country together to start working at UC Davis.”
After enjoying her childhood in Davis, Jamie made it her career to welcome others to her favorite town. “I love my work as a real estate agent in Davis! I was a founding member of a new real estate firm with a group of realtors in town called Good Home Group.”
A few years ago, Jamie was asked to be on Yolo County CASA’s Advisory Council. “I had heard about Yolo County CASA for several years and was really intrigued by the mission. I didn’t have time to become a CASA volunteer so I was really happy to have the opportunity to serve in the capacity of the Advisory Council.”
After joining the Advisory Council, Jamie realized that she could fill a unique role for Yolo County CASA. “We have approximately 600 children in the foster care system at any given time and we have fewer than 150 CASA volunteers. I work in a profession where I interact with many kinds of people in the community. I use this opportunity to spread the word about our need for CASA volunteers whenever I can.”
In addition to spreading the word, Jamie makes philanthropic contributions to Yolo County CASA as well. “To reach our goal of serving every foster child in Yolo County with a CASA volunteer, we have to grow our capacity, and that’s expensive. So in addition to spreading the work about volunteering, I donate to the cause and ask my friends to do the same. The way I see it, it is our responsibility in our community to ensure that every child feels safe. A consistent and stable adult relationship is a must.”
Jamie underscores her sentiments as she talks about going to court. “When I first joined the Advisory Council, I went to court to learn more about the process. I can’t imagine what it must be like for children without CASA volunteers. Significant life decisions are made for foster children in court. Having a CASA by their side who knows them well makes all the difference in the world.”
As Jamie thinks to the future, she plans to be part of Yolo County CASA for a long time. “Yolo County CASA is such an important organization and Tracy Fauver, the Executive Director, is truly an amazing leader. I really look forward to doing my part to help the organization to grow under her leadership. I’ve seen it take leaps and bounds already in the past few years that I’ve been on the Advisory Council.”
Jamie says that time spent with Yolo County CASA truly comes full circle. “I’ve spoken with many CASA volunteers who say that they became a CASA volunteer to give a gift to a foster child but that they feel that they are the ones who really received a gift of a close and wonderful relationship. And on a certain level, I feel the same way. The time I spend helping Yolo County CASA is a gift to my soul. I know that every minute I put into the organization is a chance at a better life for a foster child. That’s pretty incredible.”
To read more about our Advisory Council, click here.
