PAT CROSSLEY/Sun-Gazette Amy and Corey Mowrey were recognized at an annual gala for their service to Court Appointed Special Advocates.

Serving as a volunteer for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) can be both rewarding and heart-wrenching. You see the worst side of humanity but you also get to see the impact that you can have on a child’s life as they navigate the court system in abuse and neglect hearings.

Susquehanna Valley CASA (SVCASA) serves Lycoming, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties, and is part of a national organization, Sandy Spencer, vice president of the group told those who had gathered recently for their annual fundraising event.

“In 1977 a Seattle juvenile court was concerned with decisions he was making in the courtroom for the abused and neglected children before him. He felt he often had insufficient information, and conceived of the idea of trained citizen volunteers gathering facts and speaking up for the best interest of abuse and neglected children,” she explained.

Currently there are 939 CASA state organizations and local programs in 49 states.

Volunteers work with legal and child welfare professionals, educators, service providers, medical providers and sometimes law enforcement to gather relevant information to share with the court,” Spencer explained.

Judges sign an order-to-appoint, which gives CASA volunteers access to medical and school records and the facts gathered are then compiled into a court report for each hearing, along with the CASA’s recommendation.

“Judges generally request the CASA for the most serious and concerning cases,” Spencer said, adding, “a volunteer on a casa case can make a profound difference.”

Statistics have shown that cases with a CASA close seven to eight months sooner.

“In other words, CASA helps expedite outcomes and lead to better and permanent, safe and loving homes for most vulnerable children,” Spencer said.

During the event, Corey Mowrey, past president and fundraising chair and his wife Amber, who is on the staff of SVCASA, were honored for their work with the group.

“We’ve had some extremely challenging times, and sometimes when things were a bit easier, but always, Corey gave of his time, his energy, his wise and compassionate leadership, and many other resources to guide us through challenges, change and growth,” Spencer said. “Although his lawyer capabilities are valued, we always realize he really leads with his heart, and we are thankful,” she added.

In acknowledging Amber’s work with the group, Spencer said, “A CASA saying that is often repeated is every child needs a hero, but abused and neglected children need superheroes.”

“For this board and this organization, Corey and Amber have been our Batman and Robin, our very own superheroes,” she added.

There are three million reports of child abuse in this country and it’s estimated that only about a third are actually reported.

“Every ten seconds there’s a report of child abuse,” Mowrey said.

He noted that during the time that the event was occurring, there were approximately 1,000 reports of child abuse.

“Children who experience abuse are nine times more likely to end up in the criminal justice system. A third of abused children will go on to abuse their own children…it’s a vicious cycle,” he said.

“CASA serves a proactive role in what otherwise becomes a significant and costly problem for the future. We give the children better tomorrows for them and for us,” he said.

Mowrey stressed that currently CASA needs volunteers.

“There are over 300 kids in our four counties in the court dependency system right now and we just can’t serve them all,” he said.

“Every one of them matters,” he added.

He urged anyone interested in volunteering to visit CASA’s website at: susquehannavalleycasa.com to learn more about the organization and when trainings will be held.