Every day the CASA of CGS team witnesses acts of incredible strength, determination and whole-hearted compassion. The amount of effort advocates put into a case for a child is often more than time. When you pour your heart into your footwork and recommendations, your emotional and mental well-being can suffer. We like to recognize an advocate each month who has went above and beyond while volunteering their time and more for the children we serve.
The CASA advocate of the month for July is Cumberland County advocate, Deena Osmer!
Deena has been an advocate since 2016 and has been on her case with two children since January. Throughout her case she has been objective and thorough, combing through the history of the case, the current status, and ensuring that any negative impact of the case on the girls would be as minimal as possible. Her reports to the court cover all areas of the children’s lives and assisted the judge in seeing multiple sides of the case, while keeping the best interest of the children in mind. Despite the circumstances surrounding the reason the children were placed into care, Deena never gave the impression that she judged anyone involved in the case and remained professional at all times.
Her peer coordinator, Dot says of working with Deena, “Deena is an exemplary CASA. She is very prompt with her reports and responds to any communication. But more importantly, she has been very dedicated to the children she works with. She visits regularly with the children and formed a good relationship with them, bringing to the court any relevant concerns/comments. Her commitment to representing the CASA organization is apparent. Some of the court hearings went for hours and into the afternoon, and Deena made it a point to stay the entire time, even though she was missing time at work. It is a real pleasure to work with Deena.”
One of Deena’s fellow advocates, Tim, says, “Deena is always outgoing and has a love for children. In her spare time, she is still doing this for other children. She truly believes in speaking for children.”
Deena was also named as Bridgeton’s 2016-17 Governor’s Teacher of the Year for her role in the ExCEL program. In addition to be an outstanding volunteer, Deena is also a fantastic mom and a Science teacher for Bridgeton Public Schools.
We are so thankful to have Deena on our team and love witnessing the change she brings to the community and to the lives of the children we serve.