CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — From the new way we communicate at our jobs, to the way we get daily things done, it has all changed in the light of COVID-19.
Even the way a judge performs a swearing-in and our Ashley Gonzalez joins us live to take a closer look with how CASA in the Coastal Bend made sure to shift their gears to continue their mission
“That’s right Taylor, we're always in contact with CASA, and they’re talking about their next move of going above-and-beyond for the children who don’t have a voice. CASA of the Coastal Bend asked Judge Timothy McCoy if he could swear in volunteers via Zoom, " says Ashley.
"This has never been done before, but the switch was necessary for getting more volunteers assigned to children, so the transition was obvious. And for clear reasons, Judge McCoy says he’s been swearing in classes since 2015 and the demand for more volunteers is always high. McCoy says there has been a dramatic increase of abuse and neglect cases, so the more volunteers he gets, the better," said Ashley.
Judge McCoy and CASA say this was not a time to let up, because the children in the foster care system do not have that option.
Officials say the new normal way of swearing-in volunteers has brought on many new opportunities.
“We have to follow all the regulations with regards to social distancing and CASA volunteers are essential. I have to swear them in so this is the platform to do it! And we did," says Timothy McCoy.
“A lot of other people that I invited to the swearing-in have already signed up in their area to start their training for CASA, and so I think that this virtual environment has allowed us to stretch and grow our reach. And share those in a different way," says CASA volunteer, Libby Martin.
“Working from home, my schedule is a little different, so I wanted to figure out a way to still be involved and make an impact,” adds Martin.
And again, the demand for more CASA volunteers is always at an all-time high, officials say. To find out how you can become a volunteer, visit their website.
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