Lori was sworn in as a CASA volunteer in January 2020 and has served on four cases since that time. Lori accepted her first case at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and provided invaluable support and advocacy for her assigned youth during a time of great isolation.

Lori currently advocates for a teen involved in a truancy case. She has been a critical advocate in court and school and is this youth’s biggest cheerleader. When all others are focused on the youth’s struggles, Lori is the first to point out her strengths and progress. When asked why Lori advocates, she shared, “What I enjoy about being a CASA is the opportunity to help children who are not in a position to help themselves.  When there are so many people involved in a case and I am unsure about whom I should be listening to, I like knowing that my responsibility is to listen to the child and appreciate the opportunity to stand up for them when I can.” Lori also shared a fond memory with her assigned youth, “Although it was a very small thing, one of my favorite moments with my current case was when the child (a sixteen-year-old girl) told me that her boyfriend “told me to say hi to you”. It made me feel that I was truly part of her life!”