Advocate Spotlight: Carol Wills

“I wish more people knew that CASA existed.”

CASA volunteer Carol Wills echoes the words many of us say on a regular basis. Once you see the need in our community and see all the good a CASA can do, it’s hard not to think that way.

As a retired teacher, Carol has been able to take her 32 years of classroom experience and translate it into successful advocacy for not just one, but two children.

“My first case was a five-year-old boy who was very clearly developmentally delayed,” Carol said. “His mom told me he was enrolled in kindergarten, so I followed up on that information and found out he was not. I knew from experience that this little boy needed to get to school so he could be tested, have an IEP written, and services provided. It took some doing with the parents, but by the end of his first year in kindergarten, placement in a special needs classroom was the plan for the following year.”

This case was a good fit for Carol because of her professional background, but she recognizes there was still a lot to learn in the beginning.

“For new advocates, there’s so much to learn about ‘the system,’” she said. “It’s a lot to take in during training. But when you’re handed your first case and you sit down to lay out all your information, you really do have a good feeling as to where you should start. The CASA staff are more than willing to help.”

Now on her second case, Carol has a clear goal in mind for her advocacy.

“In the case I have now, I truly hope that I can present a positive attitude to the 14-year-old girl that I’m working with to help her see that there is a way to successfully get back with her mom, which is the ultimate goal.”

If you’d like to join Carol in helping the children in our community reach their goals and experience the loving support of a trusted adult, we hope you’ll consider joining our spring training class which begins on March 10.

The first step in that advocacy journey is to attend one of our online info sessions. You can register for the next one, which is scheduled for January 22, here.

Carol lives in Northeast PA with her husband Mike and their eight dogs.

Advocate Spotlight: Maureen Harkins

For CASA volunteer Maureen Harkins, kindness and empathy are character traits instilled from an early age. Since July 2019, she has used those traits to advocate for a young man who has come to know that his advocate is someone who will be there for him through thick and thin.  

“My CASA youth has multiple intellectual and emotional issues with no family support,” Maureen said. “As a CASA volunteer, I have been able to offer some continuity despite his various placements. He seems to know that I listen to him and follow his progress and hopes. He knows I am vested in his success.”  

Growing up, Maureen’s family would open their homes to children from St. Michael’s School for Boys which opened Maureen’s eyes to the fact that there are children who are without support systems or places to go for the holidays.  

In college, Maureen volunteered her time to an after school program where many of the children experienced challenges similar to the ones our CASA kids often face.  

“Those young ones taught me a lot about resilience,” Maureen said.  

Maureen’s experiences and kind heart have proven to be exactly what her CASA child has needed in his life. She continues to be a constant source of support for a child who had none.  

“When I retired from finance in 2018, I knew I wanted to get back to working with children and draw on my training in education and psychology,” Maureen said. “CASA was the perfect fit at the perfect time.”  

Maureen also understands the importance of patience and dedication toward advocacy itself. 

“Although I haven’t had extensive experience working with support services in our area, I am climbing that learning curve,” she said. “I would remind others who are considering becoming an advocate to accept that you don’t have to be perfect to contribute something worthwhile. But you do have to be there, even when it’s complicated.”  

That mindset has allowed Maureen to continue to change this child’s story, which is what advocacy is all about.  

If you would like to join Maureen and CASA of Luzerne County in this mission, we would love to hear from you. We’ll be hosting an online info session on Monday, January 11 at 1 p.m. and we hope you’ll join us.  

Maureen is from Forty Fort and holds a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee and a Master of Science from the University of Wisconsin.