This October, I’m running the Chicago Marathon. This will be my first marathon, but I’m not running this for myself, or to achieve another life milestone. Instead, I’m running to support children in foster care at Cook County. I am proud to run as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) team member, an organization which has become an important part of my life. 

At CASA, I have seen the tremendous need for support of children in foster care. Many of the children we serve have faced more hardship by the age of ten than most of us will ever know. CASA of Cook County organizes and trains volunteers like myself to stand beside and advocate for foster children in Chicago as they navigate their experiences in foster homes, the court system, schools, healthcare, mental health services, and reunification with their families. Ultimately, we serve as a voice for these children in the courts, and in all these arenas, to help identify the best and safest placement for them. We work to ensure that all their needs are being met in a granular and individualized way which the overworked and overwhelmed social work system simply cannot provide. CASA steps in so these kids don’t get lost in the system.

Your support of CASA fuels this mission. Your generosity provides the support so that advocates like myself can provide foster children with the required resources that we identify for these children. Your generosity supports advanced training for volunteers like myself. Your support helps to provide stability, hope, and often a whole new life for a child who may have felt forgotten.

Every dollar you give supports a child’s journey toward a more supported and fulfilling life. Every mile I run is a symbol: these kids are not alone.

Thank you for standing with me and with the kids who need us most.

Help me cross both the finish line and the fundraising goal! Donate Today!