By: Amanda Dover
30-year-old Toni Stevens, has a lot of interesting hobbies. She’s a world traveler and master recreational scuba diver who also enjoys snowboarding.
But perhaps her most exciting pastime? Her philanthropic endeavors.
Toni has participated in outreach for several organizations, including Opportunity House, Hope Rescue, and is an active volunteer with the Friends of the Reading K-9 Unit, Unit, but her first and favorite volunteer organization remains CASA.
Toni recalls her first introduction with a smile, “I was in a networking group with the president of the board at the time. He played a presentation, and when I watched the video, it just clicked,”
As a child, Toni was involved in the system herself. While she never went into foster care or the adoption process, child services were present in her home, and she experienced firsthand what these children live through.
"I saw the broken system within that," recalls Toni. "A huge part of the problem is that no one listens to the kids. I knew that, and when I saw there were volunteers who would be advocating for the kids and being their voice, I jumped right away."
Sworn in on Jan. 17, 2019, Toni was one of the first few classes of CASAs' in Berks County. While she’s had several cases through the years, her current case is perhaps her most memorable. Her most recent case, will soon be adopted.
“I just had my last official visit with her yesterday and we had cupcakes. What I thought was interesting was that she still had the first picture we'd ever colored. She keeps her momentos. A card to her is everything,” Toni says.
Children moving throughout the system have precious little to their name. Movement from family to family can happen fast. Theymust be able to pack up their belongings quickly, ofteno in just a single trash bag. Now that child has one more memento to cherish from an otherwise rocky start to her life, “I wrote her a beautiful card that says, ‘Dreams really do come true,’ Toni shared. “She was a kid who's been with me for like 3 years, seeing her adopted was such a big thing for her.”
As a mother herself, Toni understands how important the role of an advocate is in cases like this. Not all the adults this child encounters in her journey fully understand her needs. For example, trauma exhibited in school situations can be mislabeled a behavior problem.
In the case of Toni’s girl, her needs are directly related to early trauma. “She has control issues, she has to know her schedule, she has OCD tendencies, “ Toni explains, “Advocating for her and knowing she needs support in these ways is so important to her success."
Toni says unfortunately not everyone sees the bigger picture with dealing with children with a history of trauma. "They don't always realize that that temper tantrum she had because she failed a test isn't because she's a bad kid. She's not a bad kid. She's had to deal with so much."
As a CASA, Toni is the voice for this child, reminding the adults she interacts with the ways her early trauma may affect her everyday life. “I'm always there for her. Helping her, listening to her, speaking out for her and she knows that,” she says. “Having a CASA means they are not alone. They have an adult that is willing to put aside everything and fight for what they actually need.”
This girl has been fortunate to find an amazing family that will continue to advocate for her needs. Her case is reaching a happy conclusion, but other children are still in need of supportive adults to be their voice and advocate for them.
Toni encourages others to become the constant in one child’s world of chaos. “To these kids a CASA is an anchor,” she says pointedly. “You change their life at a point where everything in their life is chaotic and you are a constant.”
CASA is actively seeking more people to be the anchor for these children. In a system overwhelmed with children, there simply aren’t enough Tonis.
“If that speaks to you, this is your sign,” Toni advises. “Always keep an open mind and say yes. You never know where it will take you.”
If you’d like to learn more about becoming an advocate for these children, be sure to come to an information session to learn more about the application and training process involved in becoming an advocate. Email our Advocate Manager at: christa@casaberks.org
