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Active Volunteers: 99
Children Served: 387
Team Members: 10
Service Area: Hall and Dawson Counties
What is your favorite thing about your community?
What we appreciate most about Hall and Dawson Counties is their close-knit nature. People here know their neighbors, and when someone is facing a difficult season, the community notices and steps in to help. That sense of looking out for one another is woven into our identity.
You can see it in the number of nonprofits we have and in the strong local support behind them. Businesses, churches, schools, civic organizations, and families all invest in causes they care about, and they follow through. That level of commitment is something we never take for granted.
For Hall-Dawson CASA, it makes all the difference. Our volunteers come from that same desire to serve, and our partners and donors help us fill critical gaps for the children in our care. When a child in foster care needs someone in their corner, an entire community is ready to stand beside them. That is what makes this place so special.
What is a unique tradition or event your affiliate holds annually?
One tradition we look forward to every year is our Celebration of Hope. It’s an annual breakfast, and one thing that makes it different is that it isn’t a fundraiser. We don’t make an ask. It’s simply a morning to celebrate the impact of our work alongside the people who make it possible: our volunteer advocates, staff, community partners, and supporters. We share stories of hope from the children and families we serve, and we take time to recognize individuals and organizations whose generosity and dedication strengthen our mission.
What makes the morning so meaningful is seeing what’s possible when a community comes together for children. It gives us a chance to reflect on lives changed through CASA advocacy, to thank the people who stand beside us, and to remember the children still waiting for someone in their corner. People leave encouraged, and that’s exactly the purpose of the event.
What is your team's favorite local spot to grab lunch or coffee?
We are so fortunate to be located in downtown Gainesville. It is a thriving area with so many wonderful options. A few of our favorites as a staff are Taqueria Tsunami, Atlas Pizza and Farmhouse Coffee.
What advice would you give to someone considering becoming a CASA volunteer?
Don’t let uncertainty hold you back. You don’t need a legal or social work background. Our training is thorough and designed to give you confidence before you ever accept a case.
Once you begin, you’re never alone. Your Advocate Supervisor will guide you every step of the way, and you’ll have the support of fellow volunteers and our entire organization behind you.
It’s a meaningful commitment, but few volunteer roles make this kind of difference. As a CASA volunteer, you have the opportunity to help change a child’s story.
Share a recent mission moment.
When she entered foster care at 16, she was carrying more than any teenager should. She had experienced abuse and neglect and was struggling with the trauma, and at times she wasn’t sure she would see her 17th birthday.
Through the care and support of her CASA volunteer and Advocate Supervisor, her story began to change. She graduated from high school and started college, where she is pursuing a career in social work or human services so she can give back.
This fall, she came full circle, joining Hall-Dawson CASA as an intern. The young woman who once wasn’t sure about her future is now helping to change the stories of others.
Pictured below: Hall-Dawson CASA's intern (center) with her CASA volunteer and Advocate Supervisor
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