Mesilla Valley CASA: Helping Families in Crises
   by Charlotte Tallman

Often when a family faces abuse or neglect, a positive outcome can seem unattainable, and Anita, a young mother of three small children knows this all too well. Fortunately, she also knows about second chances, thanks to a group of advocates devoted to providing help when help is most needed.

In the Mesilla Valley, a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) is an advocate for children in foster care. A CASA works to protect a child's interests and helps to replace a life of hurt with one of hope. As a CASA, volunteers are able to serve as the eyes and ears of the court. By maintaining consistent contact with children associated with abuse and neglect, a CASA is able to take first-hand knowledge to the court so the best interests of the children are met.

Anita was involved in a relationship where she was a victim of domestic violence - a relationship she managed to escape. Before long, she met a man she loved and trusted, and Anita was ecstatic when she married the man and gave birth to a daughter. For her, life seemed to be almost perfect, until she learned her new husband might be abusing her two young sons.

When the allegations against her husband were substantiated, Anita felt helpless. She didn't know what she going to do, but she did know without family support and a dramatic blow to her self-esteem, she could not provide the type of care her three children needed. Upon that realization, she placed her children in foster care and began to seek therapeutic, job and housing counseling with the hopes that she would soon be able to give her children a good life.

Anita and her children were introduced to CASA volunteer Courtney Erickson, who understood children who are victims of abuse or neglect feel brutalized. Erickson also understood Anita needed someone who recognized what she was going through, and treated the woman who had been through so much with respect.

Erickson worked with Anita, helping her work toward a life that included a focus on her mental health and parenting skills while communicating with the courts about the best way to handle Anita's case. In addition, Erickson helped Anita apply for housing and look for an affordable apartment. By showing Anita she believed in her, Erickson was the driving force behind Anita's transformation and ultimately the reunification of Anita with her three children. Without an organization like Mesilla Valley CASA, women like Anita may never find the support they need to make a change.

Currently there are 85 CASA volunteers advocating for community children and their families, but with the current economic crises, Mesilla Valley CASA faces a decrease of 77 percent from one source in funds. Also with the stressful situations families face, Mesilla Valley CASA is sure to see an increase in services.

Throughout the nation, 100,000 nonprofit organizations will shut their doors within a year due to the current economic crisis. With decreases in funding and increases in individuals who need services, both the nonprofits and the people they serve are hurting.

One way Mesilla Valley CASA finds financial stability is through an endowment with the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico (CFSNM). The CFSNM serves as a leader able to bring together groups of people who can improve the quality of life for individuals throughout the community like Mesilla Valley CASA while providing fiscal support and administration advice. As a leader, the CFSNM manages 32 endowments for nonprofit agencies within Southern New Mexico.