Voices
PAUL MYERS
After I retired, I spent a lot of time with my granddaughter. She has a good home, loving parents, and is well taken care of. I decided to devote some of my time to help a child that did not have the good home and loving parents that my granddaughter enjoyed. I joined the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program and was matched with a little Brother with whom I worked for about a year. I was also on their Board for about two years.
Then I became interested in the Guardian ad Litem Program and felt that it better suited my abilities to be able to work with the court system and DSS by helping, wherever possible, to improve the lives of children going through troubled times. I have been with the Oconee County Guardian Program for a little over two years, and thoroughly enjoy my work as a volunteer. This year, I was in Washington, D.C., for the National CASA Association conference where I met and interacted with volunteers like myself from across the country.
MARTY WINTERS
As a parent, grandparent, and former teacher, I am very conscious of the importance of a child's birthright to grow up in a loving and nurturing environment. Among the children that are most at risk in this regard, are the children who are abused and/or neglected. Today's children are our country's future, and I feel that every adult should do whatever they can to assure a better world. For this reason, I have chosen the Guardian ad Litem Program as my contribution to our society. Every time a child is helped, we are all helped.
ANNA L. SIMPSON-KING
I have enjoyed working as a Guardian ad Litem volunteer. It is something that lets you see the real way some people are treated, how some children are abused by their parents, and how it is covered up. Teachers, school personnel, and others see a whole lot that everyday people don't see. I would recommend to the business community that if you have someone working for you who is strong-hearted, loves children, and believes in advocating for what is right for them, then that person would be an asset to the Guardian ad Litem Program and should be encouraged to work as a volunteer.
I am an individual who loves helping people, and I am grateful to God for allowing me the opportunity to do what little I can to help some child get the love and care they deserve. Children are a blessing and should be loved, cared for, educated, and taught right from wrong, rather than abused, neglected and hurt by those entrusted with their care.
KATRICE LYLES
Performing duties as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem for children who have been abused or neglected is not always easy, but necessary and rewarding. I've been with the Governor's Guardian ad Litem Program three years now, and have been active since I began my first training session. This is not an easy responsibility to carry out, but it is worthwhile and a way to give back to my community. Things are not always as they appear, and that's why it is necessary for a volunteer Guardian to thoroughly investigate all allegations so that a child's best interests are represented in court. Without the help of a third party who has no vested interest in the outcome of a proceeding, children have no one to speak up for their real needs.
As a volunteer Guardian ad Litem, my duty is to ensure that I do everything possible to protect children from further abuse (i.e., recommending to the court that a child not return to an abusive home, recommending counseling for appropriate parties, requesting judicial reviews, interviewing all parties involved, speaking with professionals who have had involvement with the child and family, etc.). I must admit that there are times when my job is difficult to stomach, and frustrations with the system make me want to give up; but then my heart and conscience speak out to me and remind me that there is hope for every child. Hope that each child will be protected from harm keeps me focused on the goal and provides me with the strength to endure to the end.