South Tahoe High grad returns to SLT: Looking for CASA volunteers to fill big void

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Have you ever wondered who is there to advocate in court for the younger members of our community who are abused, neglected, or at-risk youth?

The Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, are volunteers there to advocate for and empower by speaking up for the needs of children and making a positive impact in their lives.

In South Lake Tahoe, CASA Program Manager Mario Guerrero is the person responsible for managing the cases of kids in need of advocates. He matches them up with trained volunteers who will be there for them, perhaps the first time in their lives they've had an adult do that.

The advocates are a consistent, dependable person for these kids, a strong pillar as they navigate the system.

"We want to empower our children to have their own voices, walk with their heads up high during this trying time of their life," said Guerrero.

Mario grew up in South Lake Tahoe and graduated from South Tahoe High in 2000. He headed over to Lake Tahoe Community College for his AA, and then to the University of California in Berkey where he double-majored in Legal Studies and Rhetoric and minored in Ethnic Studies.

He has now returned to the South Shore where he not only works with kids via his job but also as a Pop Warner Football U12 coach and board member. Mario will mark his one-year anniversary with CASA on May 7.

In South Lake Tahoe 26 youth are currently being served by CASA, and 276 county-wide. Originally 427 youth were referred to CASA in El Dorado County, but not all needed the services or they didn't have a volunteer match.

Guerrero wnts to fix that and is looking for new volunteers to fill that void.

There are three different types of youth in the court system that are matched with CASA:

1. Dependency Court - they are foster care kids from birth to 18-years-old.
2. Delinquency Court - they violated a law and are now in the hands of Probation. Most are ages 12-13.
3. AB12 - Young people who have aged out of the above two courts, ages 18-21. They are learning life skills, learning to function as a young adult with jobs, housing, and college.

Mario shared a story of one of the CASA young adults, a success that he joyfully shared. This person had been couch surfing, moving from home to home, couch to couch, just trying to survive. His CASA volunteer helped by organizing his information from birth certificates to all history, did role playing with the young man to learn how to interview for a job, look for an apartment and learn to live on his own. This young man is now working full-time and has his own apartment.

Success comes with a dedicated person volunteering a few hours a month.

"CASA are that one consistent person in their life who are there from beginning to end," said Guerrero.

To be an advocate one must be 21, apply on the CASA website, pass a background check, attend an orientation, meet with Mario, do 30 hours of training (three hours in person and rest online), and take an oath and be sworn in. He is looking for diversity in age, gender, and culture, all of which go a long way with their different exposures and how they can help the children.

"Be creative and flexible to meet the needs of the child," said Mario of the volunteers. "There is no script, just be yourself. Be genuine."

If interested in learning more, contact Mario for more information at (530) 573-3093 or mario@casaeldorado.org. There is also more information on their website, https://www.casaeldorado.org/.

CASA is having a fundraiser on May 1at 6:30 p.m. at South Lake Brewing - The Great Bingo Revival with DJ Rusty Reams. All proceeds will go to the local CASA.