Making a difference in childrens’ lives

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) come from all different backgrounds, both in profession and personal experiences.

There is no specific profile of the perfect CASA, said Leah Varnell, executive director for CASA Jeffco/Gilpin.

“The only thing,” she said, “is CASAs have to be committed to children’s safety and making sure they grow up in a safe and loving permanent home.”

CASA Jeffco/Gilpin celebrated its 15-year anniversary in March. And although the organization has helped more than 2,500 children since 2001, only 30 to 40 percent of children in the court system received advocates.

“These are our children,” Varnell said. “It’s up to all of us to take care of the children in our community.”

The program is always looking for advocates. Those interested can sign up for the next training session, which begins on April 11. Or, Varnell said, there will be another one in June. In fact, CASA has three or four training opportunities each year for new volunteers.

CASAs truly make a difference in the life of a child, Varnell said.

“They can establish a relationship that the child does not have with anybody else,” she said. “And it ends up feeling really meaningful for the volunteers to know they’re making a difference.”

A glimpse into the life of a CASA

Michelle Halsne, 47, is a Golden resident who stays busy as a medical device sales representative and as co-founder of Fuel 100, which is a sports nutritional company.

In May, Halsne will celebrate one year as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).

In her opinion, CASAs have one job, which is to discover what is in the child’s best interest.

“You can measure any community by the way they care for their most vulnerable,” she said. “I think the most vulnerable are the children.”

Halsne’s CASA child is a 10-year-old girl who loves to take pictures. They take walks together, color posters and the girl tries to teach Halsne to play guitar.

Halsne is “overwhelmed and humbled” by the children’s strength and resilience.

“They’re so open to love and happiness,” she said. “We’re impacting not only a life, but a lifetime.”

Brian Quarnstrom is a real estate agent in Golden. The 33-year-old has been a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for six years.

Quarnstrom’s CASA child recently turned 18. The two young men play basketball and talk about sports.

To Quarnstrom, being a reliable and consistent adult in a child’s life is an important role that CASAs play.

“I can tell it’s appreciated by the children,” he said.

Before becoming a CASA, Quarnstrom was looking into various volunteer opportunities in which he could give back to the community.

“This seemed like a good fit,” he said. “It’s very rewarding.”

One of his favorite memories is when he went to parent-teacher conferences. Several of the child’s teachers told him how the child was excelling.

“I could tell how proud the child was,” Quarnstrom said, “and that made me very proud of his progress.”

Alex Stoecklein, 60, of Genesee, first learned about the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program in 1979 or 1980 when she lived in Chicago. But she worked full-time and was raising three children.

“I’ve always wanted to do it,” she said, “but never felt I had the time.”

Now, Stoecklein has been a CASA for two years, and still works full-time as a school psychologist. She wants people to know there are options for those who are interested but have busy schedules. A number of volunteer opportunities exist with CASA, she said, even if it’s not directly with children.

Stoecklein’s CASA child is a 10-year-old boy, and together they do what Stoecklein calls adventures –; swimming and hiking, for example. They’re age-appropriate “active things” that he hasn’t been exposed to before, she said.

“For most children, smiling comes easily. But for these children, it is a real special moment,” Stoecklein said. “Everybody cares about something. For me, it’s always been children’s needs.”

Helen Linn, 75, is a retired teacher who lives in Coal Creek Canyon. She has been a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for about seven years.

As a teacher, Linn has worked with many children. But working with a child one-on-one as a CASA feels very “fruitful,” she said.

“They give back as much as you give to them,” Linn said. “And that is the truth.”

Linn’s CASA child is a 17-year-old girl. They go to the library, the movie theater, the mall and hiking. “We just hang out, and it’s really good.”

Being a CASA far surpasses all of her expectations, Linn said.

“There are so many kids out there that need our help,” she said. “There’s that really good feeling when you connect with a child and make their life better –; even if it’s just a little better.”

Golden Transcript – Latest Stories