Four CASA volunteers sworn in.

Four CASA volunteers sworn in.

#OceanaCountyCASA

HART – Four Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) of Oceana volunteers were sworn in Wednesday, June 5, by Oceana County Probate Judge Bradley G. Lambrix. Volunteers are Colleen Riley, Sharon Edgar, Kathy Shafer and Arlyse Hambright.

After going through 30 hours of pre-service training and observing family court hearings, they were able to take the Oath of Service.

Judge Lambrix began the ceremony by welcoming the volunteers and congratulating them for completing training. He expressed the importance of the CASA role and highlighted how important having that independent, unbiased voice can be.

Volunteers were given time to ask the judge questions and a chance to briefly share why they chose to be a CASA. This was followed by Judge Lambrix leading them in the CASA Volunteer Oath of Service. Volunteer signed their certificates, which were also signed by the judge.

CASA of Oceana is under the umbrella of The Fountain Hill Center-Lakeshore Counseling Office. The Oceana County court system is a major supporter of this program. Michigan Children’s Trust Fund – Local Oceana Council and the Community Foundation for Oceana County are recent grant providers.

CASAs are trained volunteers appointed by the judge to advocate for the best interest of children in the court system due to abuse or neglect. If you are interested in finding out more about being a CASA volunteer, contact Emily Santellan via email at oceanacountycasa@gmail.com  or phone ‪(616) 796-4658‬. You can also find them on Facebook at Oceana County CASA.

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