It’s been nine years since Jan Lawson struggled to find the offices of the South Arkansas Children’s Coalition and signed up to be a volunteer with the Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, program.
In that time, she’s taken on cases, some of which have dragged on for years, and become an advocate for children, never failing in her commitment to serve those who need her. As a volunteer, Lawson said there are certain things that must be done, such as going to court, checking with counselors and school officials, ensuring court orders are being carried out and, of course, visiting the children at least once a month.
In her nine years as a volunteer, Lawson has only missed two months, and she noted it was only with “really good reasons for not going.”
“She is the best volunteer we have,” said Robin Krneta, executive director of the South Arkansas Children’s Coalition.
Lawson is currently working on a case that began in November 2009 - and she’s been a constant presence in the lives of the four children affected since that time. It’s a responsibility she takes seriously, knowing how important it can be to provide little things, such as cookies or a birthday cake.
“You do it because you care about it,” Lawson said.
Lawson said she decided to become an advocate because she “could not seem to get away from CASA articles in the paper, mention of CASA everytime I turned around.”
“I just couldn’t get it out of mind,” Lawson said. “I told Jamie, the volunteer coordinator at the time, I was there because I could not help myself! Her reply was, ‘That’s when we say it’s a calling.’”
Volunteers go through training before being assigned a case, and Lawson said it’s important to work with both the front office staff and the Department of Human Services staff closely. She said it’s also important to rely on one’s own radar or intuition to know what’s really going on.
“You need a really high antennae,” Lawson said. “You just figure out things. Maybe you can do something about ‘em and maybe you can’t.”
She emphasizes that the role is to protect the children and, most often, teach the parents involved. Lawson said by emphasizing that she is there to help them provide the best environment for their children makes it easier for most parents to work with her. She also emphasizes that the volunteer has “zero authority” and is surrounded by people who are paid to work in the field, so it’s important to stay on their good side.
Lawson readily acknowledges the difficulties in the role she’s chosen to take on, saying it’s definitely not always easy and she often questions whether she’s doing the right thing. She said there are times when she is beyond frustrated and has to find a way to let that out.
Krneta noted that she’s actually witnessed how Lawson deals with those situations, describing a scene where she watched Lawson enter an empty room and jump up and down repeatedly out of sheer frustration.
“That was the only way she knew how to express her frustration,” Krneta said with a laugh.
In those times, Lawson said, it’s important to rely on the other staff members at CASA who are there to support each other. Just talking to people who understand what you’re dealing with is crucial, she said.
“Talk to people who know what you’re talking about,” Lawson said.
Krneta emphasized how important the volunteer work is to the children involved, emphasizing the effect of simply remembering a birthday - something Lawson has always worked to do with the cases she has been assigned.
“Sometimes kids don’t even know their birthdays … because they’ve never been recognized,” Krneta said. “That is something special for the kids and I think it’s something special for the volunteers.”
Lawson readily agreed, adding that anything special she can do for the children goes incredibly far.
For someone thinking about volunteering, Lawson said to remember that it is work and they should take it seriously. But a volunteer should do more than simply check boxes off on a form.
“You’ve got to have some heart in this,” Lawson said. “It’s OK to really care about the kids.”
And volunteers like Lawson, Krneta said, often find the work incredibly rewarding, especially when they see a good resolution to a case.
“I have seen firsthand the difference that a dedicated volunteer can make in the case of a child and in that child’s life,” Krneta said.
Anyone interested in volunteering with CASA in the South Arkansas area should go to 13southcasa.com to download an application. For more information on the organization or volunteering, visit CASA’s Facebook page or call the office at 870-862-2272.
Madeleine Leroux can be reached at 870-862-6611 or [email protected].