“Lift up a child’s voice. A child’s life.”
This week I chose to feature Maria Delgado at CASA Nashville because I have a direct connection with CASA through my sorority. I am a member of Kappa Alpha Theta at Belmont University and our philanthropy is CASA. They do amazing work for foster children and it is a special opportunity to be able to work with them as they are changing the lives of so many.
History
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. They help serve Nashville by speaking up for children that have been abused/neglected. By helping them find safe and more permanent homes their quality of life significantly improves. These children often feel that they don’t have a voice so CASA’s trained volunteer advocates speak for the child within the court system to help them regain that voice. Children are more likely to stay out of the welfare system, be successful in school and remain in a stable home when CASA is present. They believe that every child deserves a chance and a safe home.
CASA Nashville was started in 1984 as one of the first of 30 local CASA programs serving the 52 counties across Tennessee. CASA Nashville works under a state and national CASA network but is bound to the same national standards as any other CASA.
Maria’s journey
Delgado is the development manager at CASA Nashville and began working there in 2017. Studying international studies, non-profit management, and leadership while in college, her passion for helping others flourished. She explained “During my last semester of school, I interned for 3 months in Costa Rica at a non-profit organization that focused on helping victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. This experience bolstered my passion for the nonprofit sector. When I found out about CASA Nashville, I was thrilled for the chance to work with a dynamic team creating a community that values hope, healing and permanency for abused and neglected children in juvenile court by providing trained volunteer advocates in Davidson County.”
For Maria, it only made sense that she ended up at CASA. She explained the CASA Nashville staff consists of 12 members. Each with their own variety of passions that fit together, they impact the foster youth of Nashville/Davidson County. The passion for CASA is alive and well with staff members. It shows because many employees volunteered with CASA prior to being on staff.
Delgado’s stand on kindness
Maria’s personal motto is “be the change you wish to see in the world.” It motivates her to give back because she feels she gets more meaning out of life when helping others. This can look like financial donations or giving of your time. For Maria, any form brings value and a sense of reason and purpose. She believes that kindness means taking others into account and participating in something bigger than yourself. It can be consciously taking the time to use your blessings to show goodwill to others, even in small ways. Kindness starts simply and means just being aware and engaging with others.
Maria challenges us to ask “how we can serve?” because a simple act of kindness can inspire others to show more generosity to one another. At CASA, kindness is integral and starts internally. If the staff can’t be good to each other, then it will affect the volunteers and families they serve. The work at CASA is not lighthearted which means kindness and grace toward each other is pivotal and critical.
If you want to know more about CASA & what they are up to, I have linked their website and social media accounts below! Thanks for reading and happy Friday!