CASA of the Pikes Peak Region looking for more men to volunteer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - If you’re a man with a heart for children, CASA of the Pikes Peak Region is looking for you!

Half of all foster kids in the Colorado Springs area are boys -- but only 19 percent of CASA’s volunteers are men.

“Particularly the boys don’t have strong, positive male role models in their lives,” said Mike McAdams, one of those 19 percent. “So for a male volunteer to come in and build a relationship with a young man or a young boy, then there’s something that he can look forward to, look up to.”

CASA, or “Court Appointed Special Advocates” is a nonprofit that trains volunteers to serve as mentors and champions of child victims of abuse and neglect. It’s not a requirement that volunteers work with children of the same gender, but often it can help. The one exception is sex abuse cases, where children would need an advocate of the same gender -- another reason why male volunteers are needed.

As part of an effort to encourage more men to participate, CASA is holding a “Dudes and Brews” event Wednesday night from 6-7:30 at The Garden on 401 S. Nevada Ave. in downtown Colorado Springs.

“Men who RSVP will enjoy a free beer from The Garden’s drink menu while learning what it means to be a CASA volunteer for a local boy living in foster care. Existing male volunteers and staff members will share their own experiences and will be available for questions,” CASA said.

To learn more about CASA and the work it does, click here.

“The child has a right to grow up in a family safe from abuse, neglect, domestic violence, but talking about it and believing it doesn’t change anything. CASA and the work that the advocates do is the ability to change that one family at a time,” McAdams said.

Copyright 2021 KKTV. All rights reserved.