CASA Kane County volunteer advocates for abused and neglected children

After David Carrell retired in 2012, he wanted to volunteer at something challenging.

While all volunteering is meaningful, Carrell got the challenging part when he went online, searched for opportunities and found out about CASA Kane County.

"I never heard of CASA. I read the short paragraph on what they do and I thought 'That sounds really worthwhile and it also sounds challenging,'" said the 65-year-old former employee benefits consultant.

A Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA, is an everyday person trained by CASA Kane County who is appointed by a juvenile judge as a guardian ad litem to advocate for the safety and well-being of children who are wards of the state because of abuse and neglect.

The organization serves more than 500 children a year and male volunteers for the Guardian ad Litem role are always in need.

Carrell said his experience as a GAL for a brother and sister has been challenging and rewarding because he knows he's made a difference.

"The rewarding thing is getting to a point where I can say the kids are much better off than they were before and I had a small contribution to that," he said.

The male teen that Carrell serves as a GAL for didn't open up right away.

In fact, he had a chip on his shoulder comparable to a lumber yard.

Slowly but surely, the teen realized Carrell and others were there to help him.

His once poor grades have blossomed to a B- average and he will graduate high school in June.

His sister, who will age out of the system when she turns 21 in January, is preparing to enroll in community college classes.

Carrell had to change his mindset to connect with the male teen and help break down walls he had put up resisting adults.

It started one day when Carrell told the teen he was going to be there for him, "like it or not."

"When teenagers get to a certain age, they get to the point where they become, let's say, rebellious. I think we all went through that at one point in time. We don't like being told what to do," he said. "The biggest challenge is developing a line of communication with that age group. Some of the kids have horrible situations that you and I have trouble fathoming."

For more information about how to volunteer or contribute to CASA, visit casakanecounty, org or call (630) 232-4484.