06/09/2026
Taking a little time to talk about what CASA of Calhoun County has come to mean to me.
When I took up the post as executive director, I was staring down a blank slate. CASA of Calhoun County, to me, was new and exciting. To the folks who have worked hard to get us to the point we were at though, it wasn’t new. It was the culmination of 3 years worth of work. 3 years of working to connect the pieces, to create a space, to get our community to be aware and care about the challenges some of the kids in our community face.
There were some instrumental folks who came together to make that happen. If you are reading this and you spent time listening to talks about CASA, serving on a steering committee, or dedicated time to move this process forward, you planted the seeds to ensure that our counties children would have one more access point in our community to the help they need. You also know someone who probably introduced you to that work too.
But CASA is just a piece. We are part of entire system of people who love deeply, and are passionate about wanting the kids in our community to thrive. We aren’t alone, and we stand alongside so many community partners who want the same things. A better future for the kids that grow up here.
This work is often thankless, and it can be intensely draining, but we all soldier on because as a community, we want to come together and say our kids deserve the best we can give them. We sometime get overwhelmed with the work, with each other, and with a system that is hard to navigate, but we must always move forward with grace. For ourselves and for other people trying their best to make a difference.
I want to take a moment to just say those simple words. Thank you. It’s something that isn’t always stated, but to people who do thankless work, it is the sort of thing that inspires them to keep going.
Thank you.
CASA isn’t up and running yet, we have volunteers sworn in, and we are working with the court to get those volunteers actively assigned to a child that needs them. You can still be part of the team that helps get CASA across the finish line. Consider making a donation to CASA through the Battle Creek Community Foundation to power our work. Sign up to be an advocate, or share what you know about CASA with someone you know who would be a great fit.
Or simply say thank you in the comments, share a memory of how you learned about CASA, and support the the folks in our community that do often challenging work. From our DHHS staff, to our courts, GALs, shelter homes, social workers in schools, and so many more.
Each of us has the power to transform for the better the life of a child here in our community, and I hope as you are reading this that you become inspired to make our community just a little bit better and a bit brighter than it was before.
I’ve learned so much since taking on this role, and I look forward to continuing to move CASA into the realized dream of the people who planted those seeds.
