NEPA Sings: Meet the contestants

Meet the contestants: Madison Dompkosky

Sixteen-year-old Madison is no stranger to the stage. For this competition, she’s especially excited about the meaning behind it.

“Having the opportunity to showcase your passion in front of a crowd is awesome,” she said. “But doing it for a wonderful cause like CASA makes it so much more empowering. It makes me feel like I’m singing for a purpose. We are all giving these kids a voice with our voices.”

Regardless of the outcome of the competition, Madison said she would be proud of every contestant for lending their talent to benefit CASA of Luzerne County.

“I would be thrilled to win this competition, but even more so, I would be proud of not only myself, but every participant for raising money for CASA,” she said.

To hear Madison and our 11 other contestants lift up their voices for children in need, click here or call (570) 855-2247 to purchase your tickets.

Advocate Spotlight: Sarah Block and Claudia Ravert

Claudia Ravert, left, and Dan and Sarah Block. 

In January, we welcomed seven new advocates to CASA of Luzerne County. Sarah Block and Claudia Ravert are two of those people who have dedicated themselves to acting as a voice for abused and neglected children in Luzerne County.

Sarah is a NEPA native who, as a bio and adoptive mom and former foster mom, knows firsthand the difficulties children face while in the system.

“Foster kids are some of the most vulnerable and least-valued members of our society, so I am happy to be helping in a small way via CASA,” she said. “I ache for kids in foster care. They have so little support and so much transition and trauma in their lives. The statistics are truly heartbreaking and tragic. I hope that through CASA, I will be able to provide support to these children and impact their lives for the better.”

Claudia moved to Luzerne County from her native England and brings to CASA her interest in the importance of support systems for children.

“I was very fortunate to have had a stable and loving background,” she said. “It’s become obvious in my adult life that this isn’t the norm with so many children experiencing abuse and neglect. I was drawn to the CASA program due to the beneficial impact it can have on the life of a child. I hope that I can offer something that may have previously been lacking and make that child feel like the valid human they are.”

Sarah and Claudia both live in Luzerne County with their families. Sarah and her husband are parents to four children, and Claudia and her husband are parents to one daughter with another child on the way.

We are so thankful for their commitment to CASA and to making the world a better place for the children here who so desperately need an adult who cares.