CASA of Lancaster and Lebanon Counties recently hosted a swearing-in ceremony for its 52nd class of new volunteers. On October 26, 2026 at 6pm, 14 new volunteers took their oath to become Court Appointed Special Advocates, with The Honorable Christina M. Parsons administering the oath. CASA staff, board members, and community supporters gathered at Evermore Events in Lancaster to celebrate this year’s third training class. The evening was the culmination of 30 plus hours of training completed by each volunteer to advocate for children in Lancaster and Lebanon County’s foster care systems.
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. The organization trains, supervises, and coaches volunteers to advocate on behalf of the best interest of a child who is in foster care because of abuse and neglect. Volunteers are court-appointed to provide individual best-interest advocacy to a child or sibling group.
Volunteers provide a trusted and consistent adult to walk alongside a child during a tumultuous and difficult time in their lives. CASA of Lancaster and Lebanon is currently advocating for 191 children in Lancaster County and 28 children in Lebanon County, and these 14 new volunteers join the 92 volunteers in Lancaster County and 17 volunteers in Lebanon County who advocate for the best interest of children. The new volunteers are now ready to be assigned to children who have been waiting to have a volunteer to help guide them through the foster care system.
New volunteers include: Gina Barbato-Knepp of Lancaster; Cynthia Caudill of Lancaster; Devon Dorch of Hummelstown; Debra Eichner of East Petersburg; Ellen Hahn of Lancaster; Jackson Houston of Lancaster; James Mares of Lancaster; Alyson Meldrum of Hempfield; June Mouzon-Byers of Lancaster; Ozioma Okwuchukwu of Millersville; Joette Peters of Manheim; Eileen Pugliese of New Providence; Tricia Robinson of Lancaster; and Karen Walton of Willow Street
“We are so proud of the work that this class has done to get to this point, and grateful that they are stepping up to help make a difference in the life of a child.” stated Erin Small, Training and Recruitment Coordinator. CASA hopes to eventually be able to provide a volunteer to every child in need, and the 14 new volunteers will help the organization come closer to this goal.
CASA’s central mission is to make sure a qualified, compassionate adult will stand up for and protect a child's right to be safe and to be treated with dignity and respect. CASA volunteers lift up children's voices with the belief that every child deserves a safe, nurturing, and permanent home.
If you are interested in learning more about CASA and what volunteer advocates do, please sign up to attend a Becoming a CASA Information Session. Our Information Sessions will cover the history of CASA, the role and duties of a volunteer, and next steps to joining our program. A current CASA will also be at the session to share their experiences. The session will be approximately 30-45 minutes in duration.
Upcoming Information Session dates and times:
Thursday, November 12 at 5:30pm – In-Person at the CASA Office in Lancaster
Monday December 7 at 5:30PM – Virtual Meeting on Microsoft Teams
Tuesday January 5 at 5:30PM – Virtual meeting on Microsoft Teams
Wednesday January 20 at 5:30PM – Virtual Meeting on Microsoft Teams
Learn more and register for any session by visiting www.casalancleb.org/volunteer or calling 717- 286-1430.
