Service and greatness: Remembering Dr. King

“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I’ve been thinking about the meaning behind the above statement. Because you have the ability to serve, you can be great. Or maybe because you can serve, other people have the opportunity to be great.

Because you take your time, your passions, and your dedication and channel it into something bigger, you can make a difference in the life of someone else.

And not just a specific someone, but everyone. Because it’s more about what you do have and less about what you don’t have.

Dr. King makes that known in the rest of his quote.

“You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.”

CASA of Luzerne County is currently advocating for 50 children who have been placed into foster care because of abuse and neglect. There are still 400 others who are waiting for someone to serve.

We’re hosting an info session in our office on January 22 at 5 p.m. I encourage you to come by and learn more about how you can take the things that make you uniquely you and channel them into something that will make a real, lasting impact in the life of a child. Click here to register.

If you can’t make it tomorrow, we have two more info sessions coming up in February. February 4 and February 19, both at 5 p.m.

Please consider joining the other CASA volunteers whose souls are generated by love in honoring Dr. King’s legacy by serving their community.

Advocate Spotlight: Heather Critchosin

At first glance, Dr. Heather Critchosin wasn’t sure if she was the right person for the case CASA presented to her.

“I remember first meeting this kid and wondering how I would ever be able to connect with him,” Heather said.

Heather has done more than just connect – she’s significantly impacted his life.

“The most memorable experience I have has as a CASA was holding an incredibly tough and streetwise teenager in my arms as he sobbed because his entire world fell apart,” she said. “It hit me hard to realize how much my role as a CASA meant to him during those weeks of crisis. I instantly tear up every time I think about it. My own biological teenagers have never, ever needed me like that.”

Heather’s commitment to this young man has proven the necessity of a court appointed special advocate for children who are going through some of the most difficult and trying times of their young lives.

His life is forever changed because Heather stood up and agreed to advocate for him.

“The most important thing about being an advocate, for me, is knowing my child is thriving in areas that were once serious struggles,” she said. “Confidence has replaced fear and smiles have replaced tears. A few phone calls, a listening ear, and a little time go a long way in the life of a struggling child.”

It’s been proven time and time again the impact that a caring, consistent, adult presence has in the life of a child. Not only that, the impact that a positive change in a child has in the overall community.

“The stories of the 440 children in Luzerne County that are yet to be served, although confidential, are very real and often beyond imagination,” Heather said. “Never mistake the necessary silence of these stories to be a sign that these children are okay. They are not. Research shows that children served in the CASA program have fewer out-of-home placements, spend less time in foster care, and do better in school. These outcomes provide a stronger future not only for the child, but also our community as a whole.”

If you, like Heather, are ready to make a positive change, we invite you to join us for one of our upcoming info sessions to learn more about becoming a court appointed special advocate.

January 22, February 4, and February 19 all at 5 p.m. at the CASA office. Click the links to register.

Heather, who hold multiple degrees in education, is a native of Northeast PA and still lives in the area with her two daughters, Morgan and Rylee, three dogs, and one cat. She was sworn-in as a court appointed special advocate in June 2018.