November 25, 2025 • 30 mins
“With your time and donations, you can change the lives of almost 400 kids in the Dauphin County Foster Care System who have been abused and neglected. Find out just how on this week’s Insight.” www.dauphincountycasa.org
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Sylvia Moss, and this is Insight, a presentation
of iHeartMedia where we really do care about our local
communities and all our listeners who live here and within
our local communities. I know that you'll agree with me
that the residents that we worry and care about the
most are our children. And that's why I'm always thrilled
when it can bring to your attention and celebrate those
folks who do so much for our kids. I'm really
(00:22):
amazed that when I think about the young lives that
this particular organization has said that we're going to talk
about today has impacted and get this, less than a
decade they've been in business. I guess you could call
it as you can probably tell, I'm super anxious to
meet for you to meet my two guests, So let's
get to it. From Dauphin County. KASA is Kim Saint Clair.
Kim is the acting executive director of Douphin County KASLA.
(00:45):
KASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. Kim stepped into
the leadership role after serving as a program supervisor and
a really dedicated cost of volunteer. She brought this other
guy in with who I think is a real pistol
life so much. He's amazing. A lot of people call
him Pastor Mac and Pastor Jamison. Keith McLaughlin is his
(01:06):
regular name, or the name he was born with. He's
a senior pastor a Good Memorial Baptist Church in Harrisbergen.
He's been a KASTA volunteer advocate and Pastor Max always
believed that the ministry is not confined to the pulpit.
He says that his calling is twofold to shepherd a
congregation and to advocate for children who need a voice,
and that means everything to me. Serving as a KASTA
(01:28):
volunteer advocate certainly allows him to live out that calling
in so many ways. So, guys, you're amazing, amazing. First
of all, I want to start with you, Kim. People
who haven't heard of KASSA, give us the basics of that.
What is it? Sure? Thank you. First, I want to
say thank you so much for Hawan. I love your organization.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
So at CASA we recruit, train, and supervise volunteers who
advocate for children in the foster care system. Okay, these
children are the most abused and neglected. Our volunteers go
through thirty plus hours of training. They are then a
pointed to a child and this appointment order allows them
to talk to anyone in this child's life so that
we can gather information, pertinent information to hopefully expedite them
(02:09):
through the system a little quicker getting them a safe, happy,
healthy home. This information that we gathered is then put
into a report that shared with a judge and that
hopefully again helps expedite these kiddos through the system. Are
the judges rely on our reports. Our caseworkers rely on
the extra time and energy we can put in being
that extra eyes and ears in the courtroom and in
(02:31):
the case and the voice for the child, and the
child relies on our presence. We get to visit them,
get to know them, and be a constant, consistent person
in the child's life.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Well hearing Dauphin County took an off long time to
get it because a lot of whatever. I don't know
exactly why, but thank goodness for Lrie Sarah telling correct
that angel and I think about She's the first one
I think about. I think about Bill Horning. Amazing. P Well,
these are people that just don't talk the talk correct.
(03:03):
They walked the wall they walk the walk give us
an idea what Laurie did and how many years it
took to get OAT.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
So we call them our founding mothers. It was Lori
and three other women who were cossaes in Cumberland County
at that time, So Cumberland, New York. Their cost of
programs came to Fruition in the nineteen nineties and these
four particular women were cassas in Cumberland County and said,
we need to get this in the state capital. This
is the state capital. We need a cost a program.
So they worked hard. I think it took a good
(03:29):
nine years until everything was said and done, and then
our county we were approved by our county and the courts,
and that was in twenty eighteen. Our first board of
directors was then appointed at that time as well, came
to Fruition at that time. And then our first class
(03:49):
I think was our first training class was twenty nineteen
where we had our first class was twenty or twelve
volunteers coming through the training class. Since then we've had
thirteen classes.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Great.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
So when I started, I started as a volunteer in
twenty twenty, there were about twelve to fifteen volunteers and
we are now up to sixty so growing, but.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
You still need more. We see talk all about that.
I want to ask you about when these kids they're
abused and collected. Talk to me about that, like, what
have what goes on with these kids? What type of
abuse are we talking about here?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So you know, children are children in youth services get
reports and they go out to where they're reported, whether police.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Is involved or not involved.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Children in you's first goal is to get them with
back in the home kinship, you know, work things out,
and if that doesn't happen, then then they become part
of the system.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
How old are they are there?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
We work with children zero to twenty two, so babies
to twenty two.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
You don't like big brothers and big sisters. It's not
a mentoring program. It's okay, it's like a best buddy.
I can't even see. It's it's like a shadow for
they have big brothers, big sisters. No, No, for you guys.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Yeah, for us, it's more being that extra set of eizaneers.
We right our appointment ours give us. We work with
everyone in that child's life, so we can work with caseworkers,
we can work with lawyers.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
But you're not a social worker.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
We're not social we're not a lawyer. We are just
people who love the community and love children. So our
appointment order allows us to talk to the therapists, the doctors,
the lawyers. I always say, it's a little more than
just your typical volunteer job. It's it's kind of like
a part time job or full time job. And the
real important thing is we are information gatherers, so we
(05:30):
gather that information, we document it on our reports. We've
had a judge call our report before a bible. We
had our recent dependency judge come to talk to our
current training class and he called it a one stop shop.
These judges are given stacks and stacks of papers because
there's so many agencies and people involved in these kiddo's cases,
and we put all of that information into one nice,
(05:51):
tidy report.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So he calls it a one stop shop.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
So hopefully and again with children and new services, just
being they're so busy. These people have thirty to thirty five.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
They pay them more, sorry, thirty to thirty five children.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Our gals are guardian at items, who are these children's lawyers.
They could have up to one hundred and fifty kids.
We have one or one sibling group so we can
focus and the now that we're in the we've been
in the area a little longer, you know, since twenty eighteen.
Just the working relationship between everyone. I have seen it
grow and just become so beneficial to these children since
(06:28):
since we've started.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Well, what I was I going to ask you when
I refer to big brothers and sisters, they match, they match.
But you guys don't know how is it determine which
costs of volunteer is going to get which kids.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
So not that any of this is you know it is.
It is a very gratifying fun job. But what we
do is we get to really know our volunteers during
the pre service training it's thirty plus hours. We get
to know them quite well. It's evening, full day Saturday classes,
and we have a referral list from children and New Services.
And with that referral list, we are given descriptions of
these children. So there are like I always say, people
(07:01):
walk through the building at the right time. The most
recent one we have a gentleman who just trained. His
background is dealing with autistic children. We just got a
case with that in the case, we had a a
emergency room nurse.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
The our nurse come through.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
We had our first case that involved babies with very
extreme medical needs. So I always say, we get sent
the people at the right time, and so we we do.
We do have matching and we'll give our folks, we've
over volunteers a couple of choices, and there are times
I will say, like, oh, I think they picked that person,
picked the wrong person, and it's the it's the best
fit ever. So yeah, so that that is definitely a process,
(07:38):
but we take that very seriously.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Well, how did the angel sit next to your move
walk in? I can find out about him?
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Oh the oh my gosh, Pastor Jamison, Yeah, he actually
found out about us, I think through the dependency Judge.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Yes, yes, so please tell your story there. First of all,
thank you for the opportunity. This is a joy, and
so yes. I was introduced to Kassa by Judge Royce
Moorees had been in several conversations with him about how
can we better serve families in the community. As a pastor,
I was meeting all kinds of families with all different
types of scenarios and situations, and I just wanted to help,
(08:11):
and he said, hey, I highly recommend Dauphin County CASA.
And I had the pleasure of meeting Kim Saint Clair,
who's been a jewel of a supervisor as well as
a leader. And it has been a joy to work
with the attorneys, the caseworkers, and also work with the families.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Tell me about some of the experiences. You don't have
to please don't identify anybody, but what you've seen, how
you've seen kids change.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
I've seen tremendous growth, especially in Kasa, or my young person.
He did not go back home to his family, but
he was connected with a family that loves him so much.
He's connected with people that have been just so supportive,
so amazing, and so friendly to him. And watching the
(08:52):
joy that he has on his face, Like from where
I first met him to where he is now, how
he's doing academically, how he's doing socially, has been a
tremendous turnaround. And everybody agrees, from the school teachers, the
case workers, the attorneys, everybody agrees he is an amazing person.
And so it's been a great experience watching him mature
(09:13):
and be a person that some people didn't even think
he could be.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Can acossa have more than one child?
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Yeah, so we typically do one child or one sibling group,
but we do make exceptions depending if a case is
closing that we know maybe closing soon, we may have
a casa take an extra child on.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
We also have costas who are some of our costas are.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Retired and they'll say, I have a little extra time
the case load you, Sylvia. So there's three hundred and
forty one children in the system. We have sixty volunteers.
Of course, we would love to give you every child
a casa. Our referral list right now is twenty eight
children who needed a casa yesterday. So what we need
is so we will sometimes assign an extra one if
we know there's a kiddo who is in really need
(09:53):
of another person in their lives.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
So you really don't have to have any prerequisite. You're
lucky that these people come in when they commit in
you and I know what that's about. But you just
gotta love kids and be committed to do to them right, Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
So we have two entities above us, a National COSA
and a PIACASA, and they provide the training curriculum. So
between their training curriculum, and we and Dauphin County have
really fine tuned our training to pull in the people
that are in the room with us. So Pastor Jamison
mentioned Judge Morris, he comes to speak to our people.
We have a guardian at LIGHTEM who is the child's lawyer.
(10:28):
We have a guardian at LIGHTEM come to speak. We
have children in New Services invites us on a Saturday.
There our whole training class. We get to learn all
about children and new services. We meet with managers, supervisors,
hearing examiners. So we've really fine tuned it so we
feel our causes are ready to hit the road immediately
because they have been exposed to so much just in
(10:48):
the training itself.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
How long does you use Is it eight weeks?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
The training it's thirty plus hours. So we do we
do a couple of evenings. It depends on the time
of year. We do its spring, summer, and fall. We'll
do a couple of three hour evenings and then we'll
do a a day or two of a full day Saturday.
So each session depends, but it's thirty plus hours. Reverend Mack,
I have two questions for you.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Okay, what if somebody's listening and to think, hmm, I
wonder what this is about, Wonder if I should do?
What are a couple of the major things they need
to ask themselves before they reach out to Kim about
being at a cost of volunteer. What would you think?
I mean, you've got a huge art. Your life is
people healing people. Maybe I should have said that that's what
the big guy upstairs.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
That's right, that's not my job. I just.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
No, But you know what I'm saying. But you were
going to say.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I was going to say two things. One you have
to care and two you have to be willing to communicate.
So you have to care about what people are going
through to even get to know the situation. A huge
part of being a cost is being observant because you
have to write the reports, and then you have to
be able to communicate with the families, with the case workers,
with the attorneys, with the judges. It really takes a
(11:55):
village to make this go well, and so it's important
to care and communicate.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Well.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
I know you children, but when you were talking about
that young man, you look different. When I looked over
here at you, he just I don't know how to
explain it. That's my guy. Typically, I guess there is
no typical child out there? Are you made? Is the
because I made full of aware of what they're dealing
with before they go in, I would imagine they would, Yes,
(12:19):
they are made full aware.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Besides the training, we also get to see everything in
this child's case.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
We get to review all the paperwork. Okay, and I will.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Tell you so your children look very different on paper
than when you meet them. Like there are times you
look at paper and think, oh my goodness, what am
I getting myself into? And then you meet a lovely
their children their children, and you meet just a lovely child.
So when I can share a little bit, I when
I was a volunteer my fourteen year old, I met
her in.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
A group home. Ahh and.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
I met her in a group home, And four years
later I am a family friend, so I can speak
a little more freely. I stayed in this child's life.
First generation to graduate from high school, first generation to
go to college. She invited me to freshman orientation, and
my daughter and I moved her into our dorm room.
So success stories big or small, you know, it could
be something as little as they found a nice family
and now they have somewhere you know, stable to stay
(13:09):
to something else. And it's not always it's not always
as success story, but when it is.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Boy does it feel good. On the side, I want
to ask you about the training. What are they taught?
Speaker 2 (13:20):
So we have various things, so you know, these kiddos
have been through. They're in the system for a reason.
It typically relates to trauma, mental health, or substance abuse,
so we focus a lot on that, and we also
just teach the the ability to write this report is
so important, so we focus on writing this report a lot,
so learning.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
What pieces need to be in the report and why.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
But yeah, so we look on the reasons why the
children are in and the report, and also how our
county works. All counties are different, so we teach them
how our court system works and how our CYS works
with us, children and new services work with us. So
we teach them, like I said, hopefully they're ready.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
To hit throw. And there are background checks for these kinds,
all the regular background checks. Well, is there a typical
time that the I guess there isn't it. And when
you from the time you had the child until the
time they go to court with the way the courts are.
You never know when.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah, most most of the hearings are every three months.
And okay, mister Jamison, we asked you to stay through.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
The Oh you're going to keep him for good.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
He's through the through the through the time the child
is in the system. We ask a volunteer to hang
in there with that kiddo. These children, you know, Uh,
caseworkers leave, lawyers leave. We try to be that consistent
the whole time. The Aberge and Dauphin County. I believe
the last I looked was two and a half years
for a child to get from A to B in
the system.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
What about the volunteer? Is there a typical I guess
that's I keep on asking questions. They are open end.
There's no end to it. You really don't know how
many hours you dedicate every week to the child, do you.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
It varies so much because in some situations, some scenarios,
the young person may be in a whole nother county,
a whole nother city, so that adds to the time,
and then just depending on the sensitivity of a situation,
some may need more time.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Well, tell me some of the things you did with
this child like, were just some of the issues or
what's typical for what you've seen.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Well, my scenario was real easy. He was receptive any
questions I had, So mine is actually not, I guess,
the greatest story because it was no tension, it was
no drama, it was no major climax. It was just
he was just a good kid. Whenever we wanted to meet,
he was available in the place where he was. He's
in western Pennsylvania for a moment. They were an amazing facility,
(15:36):
and so it wasn't too many trials. It was a
great testimony of community working together. I can't stress it enough,
and I believe this is something for us to learn
just in any situation when everybody is on the same page,
it works. When you have people to have their own agenda,
it's traumatic and the child loses, and it's really about the.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Child, and it's that way no matter what organization. That's
my next question. There's a lot of great organizations out
there to help kids. Why did you choose this one?
What appealed to you about it?
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Well, what appealed to me was seeing scenarios where kids
did not have an advocate, where some people didn't have
somebody to speak up for them. And this family may
be arguing over here, the state or social services may
say this over here, but who is actually spending time
with the kid to say this is what's really going on.
(16:25):
So I thought this was a great opportunity. And I've
been a part of them all Big Brothers, big Sisters,
I believe, and so many others YMCA and so many
other mentoring groups, and I love all of them. This
was just another opportunity to give back.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
If you could tell somebody out there listening, what's the
most important thing. If you would sell this, why you
should become acast, what would you say to them?
Speaker 3 (16:43):
You can impact the life forever, That's why. And it's
not about you making a name for yourself, but it's
really pouring back into somebody else and their family which
will impact them for generations to come. Some of the
scenarios I have seen in other cases, some kids they
might have like eight different siblings in all bad scenarios.
(17:06):
Just just be honest, but you can change the trajectory
for that child, which may impact their siblings and impact
their children and their children's children. So I feel like
you're really planning to see a positive seed for generations
to come.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
You know, I often wondered, like you get these kids,
it's sort of like you get the schedule, get them
on the right track, and then at some point they
could go home and all that work. Do you ever
see that happen? So the goal is for them to
get home. The goal is for family. Are the parents
getting help in the me they are?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
They are put on a family service plan and so
the courts are actually following what they're doing on their
family service plans.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
So every child, no matter that.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
We find I've maybe only known one or two that
maybe didn't want to go home. Every child wants to
go back home to their parents. That is their goal,
no matter what happened. So if the families, if you know,
like Pastor Jamison, we were talking I think prior to this,
we talked about fixing families and if the family can
follow this family service plan, the children will go back home.
(18:06):
And that is okay, that is that is our job.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Well that's what that's your goal, that's what you want
to do. You do follow up selling them afterwards.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
We once they are out of children in you services,
they we are no longer part of costa goes away
as well.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
As their caseworkers. But a lot of our a lot
of our.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Courses do say stay family friends, and I did that
with my my sibling group, so we do get some updates.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Every once in a while. I don't think that's going
it's wonderful. Yeah. Really, you thought you had three kids
and now you have more because you I can tell
why people love you in that church. Have anybody in
your in your church express.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Yes they have. So we actually have a board member
at a congregation and a few people have expressed that
they want to learn more about it. So I'm excited
for them. And if I can just major shout out
to my family that shares me with so many people
the church as well as Costa. I thank God for
my life and my kids. They are a huge blessing
and supportive.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
I think that's terrific. I wanted to ask you if
is it. Do you ever get people that take the
course and say this isn't for me, And yes, we
have we have.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
We've had some like en in the you know, mid
to beginning, and then typically once people go through the course,
it's just like something in life happened, their job may
have changed that they have to or it's something like that,
but it's typically not anything you know else, yeah, other
than you know, life happens, you guys.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Well, let me put it this way. You have a
you have a real small staff, and they all are incredible, loving,
incredible people dedicated to these children. But you've got to
raise money. And the money that you raise is for
these trained classes. That's the expense. Right. So I've been
to most of your events, and you do the one
(19:54):
I think it's usually in April about the story. Talk
about that. I'm sure you're going to do it again.
It's one of the other It's called Once upon a Time.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
It's an auction, a silent, silent auction and gala kind
of event. And we it's called our Storytelling. We tell
our stories, and that is our spring fundraiser. And then
we have one, if I may add, coming up, oh,
called the Gifting Tree next week, next week already, so
December second of five thirty, we'll be at Linglestown Square
lighting a tree. We'll have Linglestown Middle School Elementary Choir singing,
(20:25):
We'll have cookies and cocoa. Our Giving Tree is actually
a virtual tree online, and so it's not your typical
giving tree where you take a name and you get
a gift. Right, So it's not about gifts, it's not
about presence. But what this It's a monetary gift on
a virtual tree. Fun fact, it's started in twenty twenty.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
That's why I'm watching.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
It's stuck that that virtual thing stock you know, six
years this is our six one, six years later and
you can give money and what this money does for us.
And this is a very crucial time. We have outgrown ourselves,
so to speak. So now National Costs and PIACASA have
policies and procedures and rules as far as how many
volunteers that are advocate supervisors can supervise.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
And we are maxed out and over.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
So we need the funding to get another advocate supervisor,
to bring in more volunteers, to not only cover the
twenty eight kids on a referral list that children in
new services need from us, but.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Also the three hundred and forty one that are in
there now. The more we get, the better, So that
is what our funding.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
We're really we're really shooting for a new advocate supervisor,
hopefully hired before the end of this year.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
When somebody calls you and says I want to know
more about becoming a cost of volunteer. They come in,
you meet with them, right, do you look for anything
in them? I mean, is there are the red flags
or I mean no, there's no you don't have to agree,
degree can Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
No, So they come in for an information session, so
that's no strings attached. Come in, learn about us, and
if you still think you it's something that you're interested in,
we have our information session lasts a little less.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Than an hour.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Oh that's a PowerPoint, and then after that we do
an interview. So this the interview is the questions are
from pia Cosa. So they really do a great job
at making sure we understand about the volunteer that maybe
coming in the volunteer understands what all requirements.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Are going to be.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
So it's usually, you know, all that prep work is
a good fit for a good volunteer to finish the work.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
You've always been the beginning, like you and I before
we started the program we were talking about because I
think education is wonderful. But it's been my experience anim
older than you guys, a lot older than you guys.
It's been my experience in life the people who actually
number one they have the heart to do certain things,
(22:35):
and they have faith and they I think in those cases.
To me, I don't want to say anybody can be ACASA,
but it's all about life experience. You were real involved
with kids, all your kids growing up. Anything you have
(22:56):
a you're a pastor, You had the kind of parents
that we wish all these kids had built that his
parents were pastors, right, and that had to have an
influence on you.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
Absolutely, And my mother was an educator for a long time,
and so when you talk about being a castle, one
of the things that calls for sometimes is being an EDM,
which is an educational decision maker, and so you have
to care about these kids and their future, which also
includes their education.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
So absolutely, I think that's right. Well, something else I
wanted to ask you. You'll probably learned a lot from
these kids. What stands out? I mean this shown how
did this impact you, not as a pastor, but as
a man dealing with these young men. I'm sure you've
dealt with other families before, but whatuld you learn about yourself?
(23:44):
Kedo is what I'm asking you.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
So, if I had to pick one word, it would
be resilience. A lot of these children deal with something
they call aces average childhood experiences. Yes, but the resilience
on many of these families, not just the children, with
the families as well, it's amazing. And you learn that
sometimes you don't know what you can handle until you're
(24:06):
in that situation. And so these kids have taught me
that there are a lot of resilient people out there,
and although their circumstances may not look stellar, may not
look ideal, they make it work. And so includos to them.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
And they might have a hard shell, but usually people
who have a hard shell are soft and are hurting
in the inside. How about it. Absolutely wanted to ask
you too. I said, you just have a limited step.
You are looking for a new advocate supervisor. What would
that person do?
Speaker 2 (24:36):
So that person would supervise volunteers up to thirty volunteers
and that is learning the cases, knowing the cases, assigning
the volunteers to the cases, learning our training curriculum to train.
We do monthly supervision meetings. It's a full time in
house job and it's just getting to work with the
(24:57):
great families and the children that we have the privilege
to serve.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
I know, Dolphin County cost you know as matters to
both of you. But let me ask you both, why
should we all care about it?
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Well, these are members of our community, and I believe
we should care about our neighbors. I don't know if
I'm allowed to say this, but the Bible tells us sure.
The Good Book says the greatest commandment is to love
your neighbor as yourself. That's part of it. For of course,
first you got to love the Lord, your guy, with
all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.
But this truly is loving your neighbor. Seeing everybody flourished,
(25:33):
I believe when when one family wins, we all win.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
It's all right.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
That's why everybody should care.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
You know, constant programs. I know they're powerful. I've seen
what you know with some of the things that I've
happened to kids. And I want to tell everybody again,
remember if you want to well before asking this something
that I just came to mind, you don't have to
do this. You could be working and do it part
time if you want to write, how does that work?
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Absolutely so, we have full time workers, part time workers, retired.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
Volunteers.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
We also have we have two we have two students
who are med students at Hershey Med doing a fantastic
job with their children.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
I can't even I can't even tell. If I would
share these stories, I could go on forever.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
So you can pay anywhere in your life. Well, you know,
they're med students. They get in on the medical and
they understand that the time and the energy that they
give to these kids and.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Those kids and they're in school, they're dying because all
they do is work and they're in school.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
So really it's just the compassion, it's the big heart,
it's fixing your community, it's it's all of that. We say,
like in our curriculum that ten to fifteen hours a month,
and again, like Pastor Jamison said, it depends on what's
going on in your child's life. Sometimes it may be
a little more than that. Sometimes it may be a
little less than that. But anyone can do it. And
(26:48):
timing I think has to be right for you. I
think timing does have to be right in each individual's
life to do this.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
You know what, something also that I've always been a
proponent of is what you folks are doing. You both
have children. That is so important for us to show
our children about giving back because I've said this over
and over. If you do that, you're going to breed
a generation of kids, know who give back and the
(27:15):
joy they find from it. I don't want to do
that until they get there. Then they want to go back, right,
It's so very true. I think that's wonderful. Yes, again,
let's talk about your event coming up, which I think
is so cool. You know, it's it reminds me like
of a small town where people get together and see
Christmas carols around this beautiful tree. And there's a lot
of people that show up, which shows the impact that
(27:38):
you've had on this area. So I think that's great. Again,
it's next week. It's Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
When is it December second, five thirty at Linglestown Square.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
And if you can't make the event, you can log
onto Dauphin COUNTYCASA dot org to make a contribution on
a virtual tree. If you are looking, I will tell
your viewers if you are looking for an organization that
definitely changes the life of a child, consider CASA. My one,
Cassa just visited her kiddo who was four and a
half hours away, and as he's introducing her to people
(28:08):
in the facility, he is in he said, this is
my CASA and she's only for me because we're only
assigned one volunteer, one sibling group.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
So they get it. They know where they're they and
they know what they need and it's easy to figure out. So, guys,
I want to thank you again. Kim Saint Clair is
the acting executive director and program supervisor of Doauphin County CASA.
Pastor Jamison McLaughlin of Good Women We're a Baptist church.
He is a wonderful person too. Just like Kim and
(28:36):
Acostum volunteer advocate. I'm gonna keep in touch with you
because i can just imagine that the lives you're gonna change.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Buddies, Well, thank you so much for having sure.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
And don't forget you can catch Inside on our ten
iHeart stations on weekend or anytime on your favorite podcast app.
I'm Sylvia Moss. This has been Inside. Thanks so much
for listening. See you next week. Hi, this is iHeart,
(29:32):
Public Affairs director and host of Insights, Sylvia Moss. Each
week on Insight, we address and try to provide the
best local resources for issues that you tell me are
the most important to you, the ones that have the
biggest impact on your everyday lives. Insights also a place
where we can let you know about exciting community events
and introduce you to many of the incredible people who
work hard every single day just to make all of
(29:53):
our lives better. If you're not able to listen to
Insight when it airs on this station each week, then
catch you on your favorite podcast stop. Thank you for listening.
Hi, I'm Sylvia Moss, and this is Insight, a presentation
of iHeartMedia where we really do care about our local
communities and all our listeners who live here and within
our local communities. I know that you'll agree with me
that the residents that we worry and care about the
most are our children. And that's why I'm always thrilled
when it can bring to your attention and celebrate those
folks who do so much for our kids. I'm really
(00:22):
amazed that when I think about the young lives that
this particular organization has said that we're going to talk
about today has impacted and get this, less than a
decade they've been in business. I guess you could call
it as you can probably tell, I'm super anxious to
meet for you to meet my two guests, So let's
get to it. From Dauphin County. KASA is Kim Saint Clair.
Kim is the acting executive director of Douphin County KASLA.
(00:45):
KASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. Kim stepped into
the leadership role after serving as a program supervisor and
a really dedicated cost of volunteer. She brought this other
guy in with who I think is a real pistol
life so much. He's amazing. A lot of people call
him Pastor Mac and Pastor Jamison. Keith McLaughlin is his
(01:06):
regular name, or the name he was born with. He's
a senior pastor a Good Memorial Baptist Church in Harrisbergen.
He's been a KASTA volunteer advocate and Pastor Max always
believed that the ministry is not confined to the pulpit.
He says that his calling is twofold to shepherd a
congregation and to advocate for children who need a voice,
and that means everything to me. Serving as a KASTA
(01:28):
volunteer advocate certainly allows him to live out that calling
in so many ways. So, guys, you're amazing, amazing. First
of all, I want to start with you, Kim. People
who haven't heard of KASSA, give us the basics of that.
What is it? Sure? Thank you. First, I want to
say thank you so much for Hawan. I love your organization.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
So at CASA we recruit, train, and supervise volunteers who
advocate for children in the foster care system. Okay, these
children are the most abused and neglected. Our volunteers go
through thirty plus hours of training. They are then a
pointed to a child and this appointment order allows them
to talk to anyone in this child's life so that
we can gather information, pertinent information to hopefully expedite them
(02:09):
through the system a little quicker getting them a safe, happy,
healthy home. This information that we gathered is then put
into a report that shared with a judge and that
hopefully again helps expedite these kiddos through the system. Are
the judges rely on our reports. Our caseworkers rely on
the extra time and energy we can put in being
that extra eyes and ears in the courtroom and in
(02:31):
the case and the voice for the child, and the
child relies on our presence. We get to visit them,
get to know them, and be a constant, consistent person
in the child's life.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Well hearing Dauphin County took an off long time to
get it because a lot of whatever. I don't know
exactly why, but thank goodness for Lrie Sarah telling correct
that angel and I think about She's the first one
I think about. I think about Bill Horning. Amazing. P Well,
these are people that just don't talk the talk correct.
(03:03):
They walked the wall they walk the walk give us
an idea what Laurie did and how many years it
took to get OAT.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
So we call them our founding mothers. It was Lori
and three other women who were cossaes in Cumberland County
at that time, So Cumberland, New York. Their cost of
programs came to Fruition in the nineteen nineties and these
four particular women were cassas in Cumberland County and said,
we need to get this in the state capital. This
is the state capital. We need a cost a program.
So they worked hard. I think it took a good
(03:29):
nine years until everything was said and done, and then
our county we were approved by our county and the courts,
and that was in twenty eighteen. Our first board of
directors was then appointed at that time as well, came
to Fruition at that time. And then our first class
(03:49):
I think was our first training class was twenty nineteen
where we had our first class was twenty or twelve
volunteers coming through the training class. Since then we've had
thirteen classes.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Great.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
So when I started, I started as a volunteer in
twenty twenty, there were about twelve to fifteen volunteers and
we are now up to sixty so growing, but.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
You still need more. We see talk all about that.
I want to ask you about when these kids they're
abused and collected. Talk to me about that, like, what
have what goes on with these kids? What type of
abuse are we talking about here?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
So you know, children are children in youth services get
reports and they go out to where they're reported, whether police.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Is involved or not involved.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Children in you's first goal is to get them with
back in the home kinship, you know, work things out,
and if that doesn't happen, then then they become part
of the system.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
How old are they are there?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
We work with children zero to twenty two, so babies
to twenty two.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
You don't like big brothers and big sisters. It's not
a mentoring program. It's okay, it's like a best buddy.
I can't even see. It's it's like a shadow for
they have big brothers, big sisters. No, No, for you guys.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Yeah, for us, it's more being that extra set of eizaneers.
We right our appointment ours give us. We work with
everyone in that child's life, so we can work with caseworkers,
we can work with lawyers.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
But you're not a social worker.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
We're not social we're not a lawyer. We are just
people who love the community and love children. So our
appointment order allows us to talk to the therapists, the doctors,
the lawyers. I always say, it's a little more than
just your typical volunteer job. It's it's kind of like
a part time job or full time job. And the
real important thing is we are information gatherers, so we
(05:30):
gather that information, we document it on our reports. We've
had a judge call our report before a bible. We
had our recent dependency judge come to talk to our
current training class and he called it a one stop shop.
These judges are given stacks and stacks of papers because
there's so many agencies and people involved in these kiddo's cases,
and we put all of that information into one nice,
(05:51):
tidy report.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
So he calls it a one stop shop.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
So hopefully and again with children and new services, just
being they're so busy. These people have thirty to thirty five.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
They pay them more, sorry, thirty to thirty five children.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Our gals are guardian at items, who are these children's lawyers.
They could have up to one hundred and fifty kids.
We have one or one sibling group so we can
focus and the now that we're in the we've been
in the area a little longer, you know, since twenty eighteen.
Just the working relationship between everyone. I have seen it
grow and just become so beneficial to these children since
(06:28):
since we've started.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Well, what I was I going to ask you when
I refer to big brothers and sisters, they match, they match.
But you guys don't know how is it determine which
costs of volunteer is going to get which kids.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
So not that any of this is you know it is.
It is a very gratifying fun job. But what we
do is we get to really know our volunteers during
the pre service training it's thirty plus hours. We get
to know them quite well. It's evening, full day Saturday classes,
and we have a referral list from children and New Services.
And with that referral list, we are given descriptions of
these children. So there are like I always say, people
(07:01):
walk through the building at the right time. The most
recent one we have a gentleman who just trained. His
background is dealing with autistic children. We just got a
case with that in the case, we had a a
emergency room nurse.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
The our nurse come through.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
We had our first case that involved babies with very
extreme medical needs. So I always say, we get sent
the people at the right time, and so we we do.
We do have matching and we'll give our folks, we've
over volunteers a couple of choices, and there are times
I will say, like, oh, I think they picked that person,
picked the wrong person, and it's the it's the best
fit ever. So yeah, so that that is definitely a process,
(07:38):
but we take that very seriously.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Well, how did the angel sit next to your move
walk in? I can find out about him?
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Oh the oh my gosh, Pastor Jamison, Yeah, he actually
found out about us, I think through the dependency Judge.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Yes, yes, so please tell your story there. First of all,
thank you for the opportunity. This is a joy, and
so yes. I was introduced to Kassa by Judge Royce
Moorees had been in several conversations with him about how
can we better serve families in the community. As a pastor,
I was meeting all kinds of families with all different
types of scenarios and situations, and I just wanted to help,
(08:11):
and he said, hey, I highly recommend Dauphin County CASA.
And I had the pleasure of meeting Kim Saint Clair,
who's been a jewel of a supervisor as well as
a leader. And it has been a joy to work
with the attorneys, the caseworkers, and also work with the families.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Tell me about some of the experiences. You don't have
to please don't identify anybody, but what you've seen, how
you've seen kids change.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
I've seen tremendous growth, especially in Kasa, or my young person.
He did not go back home to his family, but
he was connected with a family that loves him so much.
He's connected with people that have been just so supportive,
so amazing, and so friendly to him. And watching the
(08:52):
joy that he has on his face, Like from where
I first met him to where he is now, how
he's doing academically, how he's doing socially, has been a
tremendous turnaround. And everybody agrees, from the school teachers, the
case workers, the attorneys, everybody agrees he is an amazing person.
And so it's been a great experience watching him mature
(09:13):
and be a person that some people didn't even think
he could be.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Can acossa have more than one child?
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Yeah, so we typically do one child or one sibling group,
but we do make exceptions depending if a case is
closing that we know maybe closing soon, we may have
a casa take an extra child on.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
We also have costas who are some of our costas are.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Retired and they'll say, I have a little extra time
the case load you, Sylvia. So there's three hundred and
forty one children in the system. We have sixty volunteers.
Of course, we would love to give you every child
a casa. Our referral list right now is twenty eight
children who needed a casa yesterday. So what we need
is so we will sometimes assign an extra one if
we know there's a kiddo who is in really need
(09:53):
of another person in their lives.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
So you really don't have to have any prerequisite. You're
lucky that these people come in when they commit in
you and I know what that's about. But you just
gotta love kids and be committed to do to them right, Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
So we have two entities above us, a National COSA
and a PIACASA, and they provide the training curriculum. So
between their training curriculum, and we and Dauphin County have
really fine tuned our training to pull in the people
that are in the room with us. So Pastor Jamison
mentioned Judge Morris, he comes to speak to our people.
We have a guardian at LIGHTEM who is the child's lawyer.
(10:28):
We have a guardian at LIGHTEM come to speak. We
have children in New Services invites us on a Saturday.
There our whole training class. We get to learn all
about children and new services. We meet with managers, supervisors,
hearing examiners. So we've really fine tuned it so we
feel our causes are ready to hit the road immediately
because they have been exposed to so much just in
(10:48):
the training itself.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
How long does you use Is it eight weeks?
Speaker 2 (10:50):
The training it's thirty plus hours. So we do we
do a couple of evenings. It depends on the time
of year. We do its spring, summer, and fall. We'll
do a couple of three hour evenings and then we'll
do a a day or two of a full day Saturday.
So each session depends, but it's thirty plus hours. Reverend Mack,
I have two questions for you.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Okay, what if somebody's listening and to think, hmm, I
wonder what this is about, Wonder if I should do?
What are a couple of the major things they need
to ask themselves before they reach out to Kim about
being at a cost of volunteer. What would you think?
I mean, you've got a huge art. Your life is
people healing people. Maybe I should have said that that's what
the big guy upstairs.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
That's right, that's not my job. I just.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
No, But you know what I'm saying. But you were
going to say.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
I was going to say two things. One you have
to care and two you have to be willing to communicate.
So you have to care about what people are going
through to even get to know the situation. A huge
part of being a cost is being observant because you
have to write the reports, and then you have to
be able to communicate with the families, with the case workers,
with the attorneys, with the judges. It really takes a
(11:55):
village to make this go well, and so it's important
to care and communicate.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Well.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
I know you children, but when you were talking about
that young man, you look different. When I looked over
here at you, he just I don't know how to
explain it. That's my guy. Typically, I guess there is
no typical child out there? Are you made? Is the
because I made full of aware of what they're dealing
with before they go in, I would imagine they would, Yes,
(12:19):
they are made full aware.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Besides the training, we also get to see everything in
this child's case.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
We get to review all the paperwork. Okay, and I will.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Tell you so your children look very different on paper
than when you meet them. Like there are times you
look at paper and think, oh my goodness, what am
I getting myself into? And then you meet a lovely
their children their children, and you meet just a lovely child.
So when I can share a little bit, I when
I was a volunteer my fourteen year old, I met
her in.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
A group home. Ahh and.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
I met her in a group home, And four years
later I am a family friend, so I can speak
a little more freely. I stayed in this child's life.
First generation to graduate from high school, first generation to
go to college. She invited me to freshman orientation, and
my daughter and I moved her into our dorm room.
So success stories big or small, you know, it could
be something as little as they found a nice family
and now they have somewhere you know, stable to stay
(13:09):
to something else. And it's not always it's not always
as success story, but when it is.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Boy does it feel good. On the side, I want
to ask you about the training. What are they taught?
Speaker 2 (13:20):
So we have various things, so you know, these kiddos
have been through. They're in the system for a reason.
It typically relates to trauma, mental health, or substance abuse,
so we focus a lot on that, and we also
just teach the the ability to write this report is
so important, so we focus on writing this report a lot,
so learning.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
What pieces need to be in the report and why.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
But yeah, so we look on the reasons why the
children are in and the report, and also how our
county works. All counties are different, so we teach them
how our court system works and how our CYS works
with us, children and new services work with us. So
we teach them, like I said, hopefully they're ready.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
To hit throw. And there are background checks for these kinds,
all the regular background checks. Well, is there a typical
time that the I guess there isn't it. And when
you from the time you had the child until the
time they go to court with the way the courts are.
You never know when.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah, most most of the hearings are every three months.
And okay, mister Jamison, we asked you to stay through.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
The Oh you're going to keep him for good.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
He's through the through the through the time the child
is in the system. We ask a volunteer to hang
in there with that kiddo. These children, you know, Uh,
caseworkers leave, lawyers leave. We try to be that consistent
the whole time. The Aberge and Dauphin County. I believe
the last I looked was two and a half years
for a child to get from A to B in
the system.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
What about the volunteer? Is there a typical I guess
that's I keep on asking questions. They are open end.
There's no end to it. You really don't know how
many hours you dedicate every week to the child, do you.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
It varies so much because in some situations, some scenarios,
the young person may be in a whole nother county,
a whole nother city, so that adds to the time,
and then just depending on the sensitivity of a situation,
some may need more time.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Well, tell me some of the things you did with
this child like, were just some of the issues or
what's typical for what you've seen.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Well, my scenario was real easy. He was receptive any
questions I had, So mine is actually not, I guess,
the greatest story because it was no tension, it was
no drama, it was no major climax. It was just
he was just a good kid. Whenever we wanted to meet,
he was available in the place where he was. He's
in western Pennsylvania for a moment. They were an amazing facility,
(15:36):
and so it wasn't too many trials. It was a
great testimony of community working together. I can't stress it enough,
and I believe this is something for us to learn
just in any situation when everybody is on the same page,
it works. When you have people to have their own agenda,
it's traumatic and the child loses, and it's really about the.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Child, and it's that way no matter what organization. That's
my next question. There's a lot of great organizations out
there to help kids. Why did you choose this one?
What appealed to you about it?
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Well, what appealed to me was seeing scenarios where kids
did not have an advocate, where some people didn't have
somebody to speak up for them. And this family may
be arguing over here, the state or social services may
say this over here, but who is actually spending time
with the kid to say this is what's really going on.
(16:25):
So I thought this was a great opportunity. And I've
been a part of them all Big Brothers, big Sisters,
I believe, and so many others YMCA and so many
other mentoring groups, and I love all of them. This
was just another opportunity to give back.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
If you could tell somebody out there listening, what's the
most important thing. If you would sell this, why you
should become acast, what would you say to them?
Speaker 3 (16:43):
You can impact the life forever, That's why. And it's
not about you making a name for yourself, but it's
really pouring back into somebody else and their family which
will impact them for generations to come. Some of the
scenarios I have seen in other cases, some kids they
might have like eight different siblings in all bad scenarios.
(17:06):
Just just be honest, but you can change the trajectory
for that child, which may impact their siblings and impact
their children and their children's children. So I feel like
you're really planning to see a positive seed for generations
to come.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
You know, I often wondered, like you get these kids,
it's sort of like you get the schedule, get them
on the right track, and then at some point they
could go home and all that work. Do you ever
see that happen? So the goal is for them to
get home. The goal is for family. Are the parents
getting help in the me they are?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
They are put on a family service plan and so
the courts are actually following what they're doing on their
family service plans.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
So every child, no matter that.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
We find I've maybe only known one or two that
maybe didn't want to go home. Every child wants to
go back home to their parents. That is their goal,
no matter what happened. So if the families, if you know,
like Pastor Jamison, we were talking I think prior to this,
we talked about fixing families and if the family can
follow this family service plan, the children will go back home.
(18:06):
And that is okay, that is that is our job.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Well that's what that's your goal, that's what you want
to do. You do follow up selling them afterwards.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
We once they are out of children in you services,
they we are no longer part of costa goes away
as well.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
As their caseworkers. But a lot of our a lot
of our.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Courses do say stay family friends, and I did that
with my my sibling group, so we do get some updates.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Every once in a while. I don't think that's going
it's wonderful. Yeah. Really, you thought you had three kids
and now you have more because you I can tell
why people love you in that church. Have anybody in
your in your church express.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Yes they have. So we actually have a board member
at a congregation and a few people have expressed that
they want to learn more about it. So I'm excited
for them. And if I can just major shout out
to my family that shares me with so many people
the church as well as Costa. I thank God for
my life and my kids. They are a huge blessing
and supportive.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
I think that's terrific. I wanted to ask you if
is it. Do you ever get people that take the
course and say this isn't for me, And yes, we
have we have.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
We've had some like en in the you know, mid
to beginning, and then typically once people go through the course,
it's just like something in life happened, their job may
have changed that they have to or it's something like that,
but it's typically not anything you know else, yeah, other
than you know, life happens, you guys.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Well, let me put it this way. You have a
you have a real small staff, and they all are incredible, loving,
incredible people dedicated to these children. But you've got to
raise money. And the money that you raise is for
these trained classes. That's the expense. Right. So I've been
to most of your events, and you do the one
(19:54):
I think it's usually in April about the story. Talk
about that. I'm sure you're going to do it again.
It's one of the other It's called Once upon a Time.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
It's an auction, a silent, silent auction and gala kind
of event. And we it's called our Storytelling. We tell
our stories, and that is our spring fundraiser. And then
we have one, if I may add, coming up, oh,
called the Gifting Tree next week, next week already, so
December second of five thirty, we'll be at Linglestown Square
lighting a tree. We'll have Linglestown Middle School Elementary Choir singing,
(20:25):
We'll have cookies and cocoa. Our Giving Tree is actually
a virtual tree online, and so it's not your typical
giving tree where you take a name and you get
a gift. Right, So it's not about gifts, it's not
about presence. But what this It's a monetary gift on
a virtual tree. Fun fact, it's started in twenty twenty.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
That's why I'm watching.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
It's stuck that that virtual thing stock you know, six
years this is our six one, six years later and
you can give money and what this money does for us.
And this is a very crucial time. We have outgrown ourselves,
so to speak. So now National Costs and PIACASA have
policies and procedures and rules as far as how many
volunteers that are advocate supervisors can supervise.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
And we are maxed out and over.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
So we need the funding to get another advocate supervisor,
to bring in more volunteers, to not only cover the
twenty eight kids on a referral list that children in
new services need from us, but.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Also the three hundred and forty one that are in
there now. The more we get, the better, So that
is what our funding.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
We're really we're really shooting for a new advocate supervisor,
hopefully hired before the end of this year.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
When somebody calls you and says I want to know
more about becoming a cost of volunteer. They come in,
you meet with them, right, do you look for anything
in them? I mean, is there are the red flags
or I mean no, there's no you don't have to agree,
degree can Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
No, So they come in for an information session, so
that's no strings attached. Come in, learn about us, and
if you still think you it's something that you're interested in,
we have our information session lasts a little less.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Than an hour.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
Oh that's a PowerPoint, and then after that we do
an interview. So this the interview is the questions are
from pia Cosa. So they really do a great job
at making sure we understand about the volunteer that maybe
coming in the volunteer understands what all requirements.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Are going to be.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
So it's usually, you know, all that prep work is
a good fit for a good volunteer to finish the work.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
You've always been the beginning, like you and I before
we started the program we were talking about because I
think education is wonderful. But it's been my experience anim
older than you guys, a lot older than you guys.
It's been my experience in life the people who actually
number one they have the heart to do certain things,
(22:35):
and they have faith and they I think in those cases.
To me, I don't want to say anybody can be ACASA,
but it's all about life experience. You were real involved
with kids, all your kids growing up. Anything you have
(22:56):
a you're a pastor, You had the kind of parents
that we wish all these kids had built that his
parents were pastors, right, and that had to have an
influence on you.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
Absolutely, And my mother was an educator for a long time,
and so when you talk about being a castle, one
of the things that calls for sometimes is being an EDM,
which is an educational decision maker, and so you have
to care about these kids and their future, which also
includes their education.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
So absolutely, I think that's right. Well, something else I
wanted to ask you. You'll probably learned a lot from
these kids. What stands out? I mean this shown how
did this impact you, not as a pastor, but as
a man dealing with these young men. I'm sure you've
dealt with other families before, but whatuld you learn about yourself?
(23:44):
Kedo is what I'm asking you.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
So, if I had to pick one word, it would
be resilience. A lot of these children deal with something
they call aces average childhood experiences. Yes, but the resilience
on many of these families, not just the children, with
the families as well, it's amazing. And you learn that
sometimes you don't know what you can handle until you're
(24:06):
in that situation. And so these kids have taught me
that there are a lot of resilient people out there,
and although their circumstances may not look stellar, may not
look ideal, they make it work. And so includos to them.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
And they might have a hard shell, but usually people
who have a hard shell are soft and are hurting
in the inside. How about it. Absolutely wanted to ask
you too. I said, you just have a limited step.
You are looking for a new advocate supervisor. What would
that person do?
Speaker 2 (24:36):
So that person would supervise volunteers up to thirty volunteers
and that is learning the cases, knowing the cases, assigning
the volunteers to the cases, learning our training curriculum to train.
We do monthly supervision meetings. It's a full time in
house job and it's just getting to work with the
(24:57):
great families and the children that we have the privilege
to serve.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
I know, Dolphin County cost you know as matters to
both of you. But let me ask you both, why
should we all care about it?
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Well, these are members of our community, and I believe
we should care about our neighbors. I don't know if
I'm allowed to say this, but the Bible tells us sure.
The Good Book says the greatest commandment is to love
your neighbor as yourself. That's part of it. For of course,
first you got to love the Lord, your guy, with
all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.
But this truly is loving your neighbor. Seeing everybody flourished,
(25:33):
I believe when when one family wins, we all win.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
It's all right.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
That's why everybody should care.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
You know, constant programs. I know they're powerful. I've seen
what you know with some of the things that I've
happened to kids. And I want to tell everybody again,
remember if you want to well before asking this something
that I just came to mind, you don't have to
do this. You could be working and do it part
time if you want to write, how does that work?
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Absolutely so, we have full time workers, part time workers, retired.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
Volunteers.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
We also have we have two we have two students
who are med students at Hershey Med doing a fantastic
job with their children.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
I can't even I can't even tell. If I would
share these stories, I could go on forever.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
So you can pay anywhere in your life. Well, you know,
they're med students. They get in on the medical and
they understand that the time and the energy that they
give to these kids and.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Those kids and they're in school, they're dying because all
they do is work and they're in school.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
So really it's just the compassion, it's the big heart,
it's fixing your community, it's it's all of that. We say,
like in our curriculum that ten to fifteen hours a month,
and again, like Pastor Jamison said, it depends on what's
going on in your child's life. Sometimes it may be
a little more than that. Sometimes it may be a
little less than that. But anyone can do it. And
(26:48):
timing I think has to be right for you. I
think timing does have to be right in each individual's
life to do this.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
You know what, something also that I've always been a
proponent of is what you folks are doing. You both
have children. That is so important for us to show
our children about giving back because I've said this over
and over. If you do that, you're going to breed
a generation of kids, know who give back and the
(27:15):
joy they find from it. I don't want to do
that until they get there. Then they want to go back, right,
It's so very true. I think that's wonderful. Yes, again,
let's talk about your event coming up, which I think
is so cool. You know, it's it reminds me like
of a small town where people get together and see
Christmas carols around this beautiful tree. And there's a lot
of people that show up, which shows the impact that
(27:38):
you've had on this area. So I think that's great. Again,
it's next week. It's Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
When is it December second, five thirty at Linglestown Square.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
And if you can't make the event, you can log
onto Dauphin COUNTYCASA dot org to make a contribution on
a virtual tree. If you are looking, I will tell
your viewers if you are looking for an organization that
definitely changes the life of a child, consider CASA. My one,
Cassa just visited her kiddo who was four and a
half hours away, and as he's introducing her to people
(28:08):
in the facility, he is in he said, this is
my CASA and she's only for me because we're only
assigned one volunteer, one sibling group.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
So they get it. They know where they're they and
they know what they need and it's easy to figure out. So, guys,
I want to thank you again. Kim Saint Clair is
the acting executive director and program supervisor of Doauphin County CASA.
Pastor Jamison McLaughlin of Good Women We're a Baptist church.
He is a wonderful person too. Just like Kim and
(28:36):
Acostum volunteer advocate. I'm gonna keep in touch with you
because i can just imagine that the lives you're gonna change.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
Buddies, Well, thank you so much for having sure.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
And don't forget you can catch Inside on our ten
iHeart stations on weekend or anytime on your favorite podcast app.
I'm Sylvia Moss. This has been Inside. Thanks so much
for listening. See you next week. Hi, this is iHeart,
(29:32):
Public Affairs director and host of Insights, Sylvia Moss. Each
week on Insight, we address and try to provide the
best local resources for issues that you tell me are
the most important to you, the ones that have the
biggest impact on your everyday lives. Insights also a place
where we can let you know about exciting community events
and introduce you to many of the incredible people who
work hard every single day just to make all of
(29:53):
our lives better. If you're not able to listen to
Insight when it airs on this station each week, then
catch you on your favorite podcast stop. Thank you for listening.
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