A total of 42 Snohomish County Office of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers were honored recently with the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) for their advocacy work in 2023 during a celebration hosted by the CASA staff.

Ten of those volunteers live in the Edmonds and Lynnwood areas, the office said.

The Office of the CASA is a volunteer-powered agency that relies on the generosity of individuals to step forward and help our community’s most vulnerable population, our children. CASA volunteers provide best-interest advocacy for children and youth who have experienced abuse or neglect as they move through the court system. CASAs follow the guiding principles of family preservation, restoration, and the understanding that each person’s family is as unique as their cultural values, history and traditions.

“It’s a very special day when we can honor 42 CASA volunteers for earning the distinguished 2023 President’s Volunteer Service Award,” said Joelle Kelly, division manager for Snohomish County Office of the CASA. “Their unwavering commitment and service to our community provides children facing challenging circumstances with hope and stability and lays the foundation for a brighter future. We’re deeply honored to recognize their remarkable achievement and express gratitude to all CASA volunteers whose efforts inspire hope and make a lasting difference in the lives of children and families.”

The PVSA program recognizes the nation’s most outstanding volunteers for contributing significant amounts of time to the organizations they support. Each Snohomish County CASA volunteer who qualified is receiving a gold, silver or bronze medallion and pin, as well as a personal thank-you letter from President Joe Biden.

According to the PVSA, the award was founded in 2003 to “recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity.” There are three tiers of annual recognition and a lifetime achievement award available to volunteers to earn. In 2023, 32 CASA volunteers earned the bronze PVSA for volunteering 100 hours or more, eight volunteers earned the silver PVSA for volunteering between 100 and 250 hours, and two volunteers earned the gold PVSA for volunteering over 500 hours.

Linda Goodwin and Ginny Rathburn are the county’s gold PVSA recipients. Goodwin has been a volunteer with CASA for nine years and has represented 50 children. Rathburn has been a volunteer with CASA for 16 years and has represented 108 children.

“Being a CASA has provided me with the opportunity to touch and be touched by the lives of amazing individuals, big and small,” Goodwin said. “By being ‘for the child,’ CASAs are blessed to recognize that one person truly can make a difference. Thank you to CASA for the amazing support you provide to us so that we can support children and families.”

The silver PVSA recipients are Emily Fountain, Christi Osburn, Nicole Petersen, Renee Robinson, Heidi Scott, John Stevens, Jeanne Thomas and Erica Wilkinson. Between them, the silver PVSA recipients advocated for 91 abused or neglected children since beginning their volunteer work with CASA. They have more than 37 years of combined experience as CASA volunteers.

The bronze PVSA recipients are Julie Berg, Christie Blackston, Cecelia Camp, Amanda Diffenbaugh, Rachel Escoto, Patricia Fisher, Kendra Fling, Monica Galarneau, Jennifer Gardiner, Rhonda Griffin, Roselie Hertzog, Susie Hill, Kristina Jipson, Mindy Livingston, Valerie Long, Skyler Malan, Nicole Metzger, Jared Mills, Janis Nantz, Lily Orellana, Garnet Parish, Anna Pasztirko, Kathleen Pfeifle, Kelsey Puhalla, Joleen Rodgers, Elizabeth Rossiter, Alicia Schroeder, Kalyani Sendil, Kimberly Thomas, Taryn Toevs, Ken Weisenbach and one volunteer who has chosen to remain unidentified.

Snohomish County CASA is recruiting volunteers with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. The Office of the CASA hosts biweekly informational sessions for community members who are interested in learning about volunteering as a CASA and helping to change a child’s story. For more information, visit the website or email CASA@snoco.org.