The Volunteer Role
“Volunteers are unpaid not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.”
This quote is very important to us at CASA for Children of Bergen County because our volunteers are truly priceless to us. They are the heart and soul of our organization and we would be nothing without them. There might not be a more noble cause than helping those who cannot help themselves. Volunteering in any capacity is admirable but providing help for the children of Bergen County is especially valuable as it brings your efforts close to home.
Whether you choose to volunteer as an advocate, or a few hours per week in our office, or provide volunteer support for one of our special events, your time and talents are valuable to us.
Click on each name for more information
Court Appointed Special Advocate
CASA Volunteers are appointed by family court judges to advocate for the best interest of an abused or neglected child during their time in the child welfare system. They are in essence, the voice of the child, in court. CASA Volunteers interview parents, doctors, educators, foster parents, therapists, and anyone else involved in the life of the child they are assigned. Their goal is to provide child-focused reports to the court, which will lead to a speedy, safe, and permanent placement for the child. This is why it is imperative for these volunteers to go through extensive training.
All Volunteers are screened closely for objectivity, competence, and commitment. You can become a CASA volunteer if:- You have never been convicted of a crime and can pass a criminal background check.
- You are not personally involved with DYFS.
- Your job (and your life) is flexible.
- You are at least 21 years old.
- You are willing to make a one-year commitment.
- You pass CASA’s screening process.
Typically, a CASA volunteer will spend an average 10-20 hours per month working with their assigned case. Each case is different, so the amount of time required to get the job done varies significantly. We do require the volunteer to visit the child once every two weeks and be in court once every three months. CASA for Children of Bergen County asks that you make a one-year commitment. We prefer that a volunteer continue with their assigned case until it is permanently resolved which typically involves an 18 months - two year commitment. One of the primary benefits of the CASA program is that, unlike many caseworkers, most CASA volunteers remain a consistent figure during the course of case proceedings. This provides important continuity for children.
To learn more about being a CASA volunteer click here.
Office Volunteer
If you are interested in only volunteering for a few hours a week we have opportunities available at our office. Volunteers assist in clerical work including answering phones, filing and mailings. We are only able to accommodate volunteers during the regular working hours of 9am-5pm. For the sake of all concerned, we do our best to take advantage of any special skills you may have to offer such as: website design, graphic design, computers, writing, public relations, marketing, etc. If you are interested in volunteering in our office (not as an intern) please email amanda@bergencasa.org and indicate if you have any special skills.
Special Events Volunteer
Not everyone has a schedule flexible enough to make a long-term volunteer commitment to our organization. Our special events are excellent opportunities to participate in done-in-a-day volunteer roles. CASA for Children of Bergen County hosts and participates in several extraordinary special events throughout the year to help raise critical dollars to support our work with abused and neglected children. We have annual events like our Stand Up for Children Comedy Night (April) and CASA Bowl (November) and we are always looking for individuals that want to help. Our special event volunteers provide support by assisting our staff with many tasks during an event. They provide the behind-the-scenes work that makes an event run smoothly. Volunteers can also assist in preparation and set up of an event or in locating in-kind donations for an event.
Our largest fundraising event is our Stand Up for Children Comedy Night that includes a cocktail hour, dinner, tricky tray, and silent and live auctions. We are proud to say that this event accounts for a significant amount of our annual revenue needed to continue our mission of providing volunteers to advocate for the best interest of abused and neglected children in Bergen County. We would not be able to hold this event or raise these funds without the help of our special event volunteers. They put baskets together, sell raffle tickets, check in attendees, act as runners during the event, and so much more. They truly are a great help in making this night such a success!
We also have several smaller scale fundraisers throughout the year as well as other CASA events. If you are interested in becoming a special event volunteer please visit our special events for opportunities or e-mail chrystal@bergencasa.org to have your name added to our special events volunteer list.