Advocate Spotlight: John Aciukewicz

John’s name is one you’ll surely recognize. He served at CASA for many years — first as its board president and then as its executive director. But what many might not know is that John is also a CASA volunteer.

John took this case in the summer of 2020 to step in for an advocate who could no longer continue because of Covid. Since the date of his appointment, John has been working diligently to help this young child find permanency after many years — almost all of her years, in fact — of life in the foster system.

John, who refers to his CASA kid as Elsa since that’s her favorite character, have developed a strong bond over the course of his advocacy.

“Elsa and I simply had fun together on our visits,” John said. “Going to a playground, reading stories, icing cookies, taking walks, eating pretend food she made from her kitchen set for me, chasing bubbles from a bubble wand, getting ice cream from the McDonald's drive thru, dancing to ‘Hakuna Mattata.’”

Simply by being her friend, John has shown Elsa that he cares about her and what she needs.

“I feel very strongly that in order to fulfill the role as a CASA, the volunteer needs to put the time in — week in, week out, month in, month in, year in, year out,” John said. “First with your CASA kid, and then with all the ‘collateral sources’ that touch that child's life. Then you will be prepared and able to speak confidently about that child in court because you will know more about her than anyone else in that courtroom. It all starts with that commitment of time. That's why this volunteer experience is such a difficult one but clearly a much needed one for these children.”

We are grateful to John for his continued commitment to this case. If you’d like to make a difference in the life of a child in the way John has, we invite you to join us for an info session to learn more about advocacy and what it means to be a CASA.

John lives in Trucksville with his wife, Beth. They are the parents of three adult sons and have four grandchildren. John holds a BA in political science from Gettysburg College and a JD from the Dickinson School of Law.

Advocate Spotlight: Bill Leandri

“There are so many children who could use an advocate to help them.”

Bill Leandri made the decision to become an advocate after hearing CASA’s executive director speak to The Luzerne Foundation. It was in that moment, Bill said, that he knew he was ready to help positively impact the life of a child in our community.

One look at Bill’s advocacy and it’s easy to see that he’s succeeding.

“On a recent visit, he just latched on to me and wanted me to play with him,” Bill said, noting how the two had achieved that close and trusting relationship.

Bill says that it’s in the giving that he’s able to make that impact.

“Be ready to give of yourself,” he said. “Your time, energy, and compassion. You will get much happiness in this giving relationship.”

There are still children who are waiting, though, for someone to be that person for them.

“I feel good being able to help this child,” Bill said. “But I also know there are so many more children out there who could use our help. I hope we can bring new advocates to this program. I also have to add that the CASA staff was so incredibly helpful throughout training, answering questions, and overall support which has helped me in so many ways.”

There are currently more than 500 children in foster care in Luzerne County. Of those, 85% are without a CASA volunteer.

CASA’s fall training class starts on Monday, September 27. If you want to know more about what advocacy looks like and what would be expected of you as a volunteer, we invite you to attend our final info session of the season on September 8. Click here to register.

Bill holds an MBA in finance from Wilkes University and lives in Lehman with his wife Christine. They have four daughters and six grandchildren.