Volunteer Voices Diana Farrow Volunteer King County Dependency (CASA) Program and Retired Cancer Researcher Seattle, WA

There are so many unique and appealing aspects to being a CASA volunteer. For example, many Baby Boomers including me have been in positions that are extremely competitive. CASA allows you to have a lot of influence without any of that. Anything you can do benefits a child, rather than being used to get ahead of someone else. That's incredibly refreshing.

Another thing that makes CASA different is how self-directed the activity is. You get to decide what would be the most useful thing to do next. It's totally unlike being handed a box of envelopes to stuff and then waiting for the next box when you're done. You really use your common sense and initiative.

Being a CASA volunteer has given me much more understanding of the value of a stable family for children—and new perspective on my own life of relative privilege. This gives me an enormous appreciation of the issues that people face.

Other than raising my own children, being a CASA is the most valuable thing I've ever done.