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CASA OC Seeks Volunteers & Help To Mentor Neglected Kids In Need · The iHeart SoCal Show

0:00
Speaker 1: Lisa Fox here. This is the iHeart so Cal Show.
0:02
Speaker 2: Today I talked about Kids who Need Us kasa OC.
0:06
Speaker 2: It's a privately funded non profit organization that serves severely abused.
0:10
Speaker 1: Neglected, and abandoned kids.
0:12
Speaker 2: But through their recruitment, training and continued support of volunteers
0:16
Speaker 2: that they call kasas who advocate for and mentor these kids. Boy,
0:20
Speaker 2: are they making a difference. From the courtroom to the classroom.
0:23
Speaker 2: Kasas represent the best interests of these kids in need.
0:27
Speaker 2: They've got a big, big fundraiser come upon to Summer
0:29
Speaker 2: the fifth and on to tell us all about what
0:31
Speaker 2: they do, how we can get involve, how we can
0:33
Speaker 2: help and support. I've got two very special people to
0:36
Speaker 2: tell you all about how this works. First, I got
0:39
Speaker 2: there out their CEO, the CEO of kasa OC, Reagan
0:43
Speaker 2: Dean Phillips.
0:44
Speaker 3: Hi.
0:44
Speaker 4: Reagan Hi, Lisa Hi.
0:46
Speaker 2: And I don't know why this, says Corey Linsley, a
0:48
Speaker 2: former American football center.
0:50
Speaker 1: No, you did the work, Corey, You're still a star.
0:52
Speaker 2: Come on, American football center who played ten seasons in
0:55
Speaker 2: the NFL for the Green Bay Packers and.
0:57
Speaker 1: Ore La Chargers. Yes, Hello, Carl Lensley. Yay Hi guys.
1:04
Speaker 4: Hello, thanks for having us.
1:06
Speaker 2: So, Regan, let's start with you. You spent a long time
1:08
Speaker 2: working with these kids. Tell us why why the investment,
1:11
Speaker 2: Why do you care so much about helping the KASA
1:14
Speaker 2: OC kids, and why you're so passionate about making a
1:17
Speaker 2: difference in their lives.
1:18
Speaker 4: Yeah, so well, thank you, Lisa. I am. I'm a
1:22
Speaker 4: recovering attorney. I started my legal career representing children actually
1:27
Speaker 4: in the foster care system here in Orange County and
1:31
Speaker 4: worked daily with KASA volunteers in my courtroom. I served
1:36
Speaker 4: on the board as part of my pre working for
1:39
Speaker 4: the organization tenure and got to be familiar with some
1:43
Speaker 4: of the fundraising components and really appreciated, certainly as an
1:47
Speaker 4: attorney representing these kids in court the perspective, the relational piece.
1:53
Speaker 4: There were many many clients of mine that I never
1:55
Speaker 4: even actually met. Sadly, unless they come to court, they
1:59
Speaker 4: were not getting to interact with me. I was having
2:01
Speaker 4: an investigator go out and secure information from them. From
2:05
Speaker 4: my perspective, the causes are the folks that have the greatest,
2:09
Speaker 4: most up to date relationship with these kids, and I
2:11
Speaker 4: was able to get a lot of really great information.
2:14
Speaker 4: I tried to put a cost on every single one
2:16
Speaker 4: of my kids, not really recognizing at that time that
2:19
Speaker 4: there's a pretty hefty wait list. It's hard to recruit
2:22
Speaker 4: and get these folks, so we need more volunteers. We
2:25
Speaker 4: always benefit from having this army of volunteers out there
2:30
Speaker 4: to match with the kids. And then I came on
2:32
Speaker 4: board as part of the staff in twenty fifteen, So
2:35
Speaker 4: I just celebrated ten years in July, and I've been
2:39
Speaker 4: CEO for the last eight. Wow.
2:42
Speaker 2: Look at that and so much pride. It sounds like
2:44
Speaker 2: you have so much pride in helping these young people.
2:47
Speaker 2: And for folks who don't know, I mean, what types
2:49
Speaker 2: of situations are these kids in? And God bless you
2:52
Speaker 2: for having the legal means to protect them, right, I mean,
2:56
Speaker 2: that's what it's all about, protecting these kids.
2:58
Speaker 1: What types of things are they going through?
3:00
Speaker 4: Yeah, they're pretty they're pretty awful circumstances, Lisa. I mean,
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Speaker 4: these are kids that all of them have been removed
3:05
Speaker 4: from their home of origin or their family because of abuse, neglect,
3:09
Speaker 4: or abandonment, and through no faults of their own. So
3:12
Speaker 4: these are kids that are just in desperate need of
3:14
Speaker 4: someone to show up for them really at the end
3:17
Speaker 4: of the day and see them and hear them. All
3:20
Speaker 4: of these professionals that are in the courthouse are there
3:23
Speaker 4: and are you know, dedicated staff to represent them as
3:27
Speaker 4: attorneys or as social workers or therapists and even the judge.
3:30
Speaker 4: But ultimately, there are so many things that happen with
3:33
Speaker 4: children as they're growing up. There's a risk of things
3:37
Speaker 4: needs falling through the cracks, and that's really ultimately where
3:40
Speaker 4: the volunteers come through.
3:42
Speaker 2: I know, you know, we see these terrible stories on
3:44
Speaker 2: the news and saw these these are things that are
3:46
Speaker 2: happening to real people and real kids, and they don't
3:49
Speaker 2: if they don't have an advocate or someone to stand
3:51
Speaker 2: up for them, who do they have. Corey as an
3:55
Speaker 2: NFL star NFL start, we won't mention your time with
3:58
Speaker 2: the Green Bay Packers, but we'll just fo on your
4:00
Speaker 2: time with the Chargers built up.
4:03
Speaker 1: Now, Corey, why is this so.
4:05
Speaker 2: Important to you to work as a volunteer and on
4:08
Speaker 2: behalf of helping these kids who are going through so much.
4:11
Speaker 5: Yeah, we did not the reference, you know, back to
4:14
Speaker 5: the days in Green Bay, but that was where we
4:17
Speaker 5: first found out about CASA and the woman who ran
4:21
Speaker 5: the organization of Player of Cossa, Brown County. Her name
4:24
Speaker 5: was Kristen Jacob. She was actually from my hometown and
4:27
Speaker 5: so we, you know, found some common ground there she
4:29
Speaker 5: told me about and immediately hearing about it, it was
4:33
Speaker 5: like my wife and I immediately wanted to become a
4:36
Speaker 5: part of it in whatever way we in whatever way possible.
4:39
Speaker 5: And so going through the process of becoming an advocate
4:44
Speaker 5: was extremely illuminated.
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Speaker 3: I mean the world.
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Speaker 5: That I was very fortunate enough to never have to
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Speaker 5: be a part of. But also speaking a little bit
4:54
Speaker 5: of my ignorance, I didn't know anything about it. Like
4:55
Speaker 5: I didn't know what a social worker was. I remember
4:57
Speaker 5: buddies of mine in college that we're going to be
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Speaker 5: social work workers, and I'm just kind of like nodded
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Speaker 5: my head and smiled, and they're.
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Speaker 1: Like hidden saints.
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Speaker 2: People who don't know social workers are like angels. Yeah,
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Speaker 2: they do so much, they care so much.
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Speaker 4: Yeah.
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Speaker 3: Yeah.
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Speaker 5: And it was so just learning the whole experience about
5:14
Speaker 5: becoming an advocate and then for the more being advocates
5:18
Speaker 5: and being there for the kids that we had, the
5:20
Speaker 5: case that we had in Green Bay, you know, carrying
5:22
Speaker 5: that out here as well, you know, it meant a
5:24
Speaker 5: great deal to us because of the direct impact.
5:26
Speaker 3: That it has in the kids.
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Speaker 5: You know, there's a lot of cause, a lot of
5:28
Speaker 5: great causes out there, but you know, just speaking about
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Speaker 5: costs itself, you know, the direct again, the direct impact
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Speaker 5: that you can have on kids' lives, you know, it
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Speaker 5: makes obviously makes a world of difference.
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Speaker 1: Corey, do you and your wife do you have kids?
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Speaker 3: Yeah, we have four, We have four.
5:42
Speaker 2: Kids, four kids kids, and so but like probably like
5:45
Speaker 2: having kids right in Reagan, I don't know if you
5:47
Speaker 2: have kids. Do you have kids?
5:48
Speaker 1: I just feel like I do you do?
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Speaker 2: So it must make you feel like, gosh, our kids
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Speaker 2: are lucky, you know, lucky they don't have to go
5:56
Speaker 2: through so much that other kids are going through. So
5:58
Speaker 2: it makes you feel like you want to work even
5:59
Speaker 2: harder to make sure these other kids can just have
6:02
Speaker 2: a right do we say, like quote unquote normal life
6:04
Speaker 2: or without all the like craziness that can happen to them,
6:08
Speaker 2: especially in the postcar system and out there without the
6:11
Speaker 2: normal structure at home. I mean, right, I'd like to
6:14
Speaker 2: think having kids makes you feel like, oh my gosh,
6:16
Speaker 2: we want to make sure we want to do everything
6:18
Speaker 2: in our power to make sure the coast of kids
6:20
Speaker 2: have just a better life, right, a better life exactly.
6:23
Speaker 5: And I think the one of the themes that again
6:27
Speaker 5: it seems so simple and like straightforward, but you don't
6:30
Speaker 5: really think about these things until you get into this environment,
6:33
Speaker 5: into the space, is just that can being a consistent
6:36
Speaker 5: presence in someone's life and life? Yeah, And that's that
6:39
Speaker 5: was a huge, huge emphasis point of emphasis during our
6:43
Speaker 5: time and KASA that you know, getting educated and becoming
6:47
Speaker 5: an advocate was like, you know, just how much that
6:49
Speaker 5: means to these kids just weake in and week out,
6:53
Speaker 5: being able to be there for them and having that
6:56
Speaker 5: just having that playing that role in.
6:58
Speaker 3: Their life in and of itself is positive.
7:00
Speaker 2: Yeah, because they're getting bounced around right to foster home
7:03
Speaker 2: to foster home to foster home.
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Speaker 1: They're going through a lot.
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Speaker 2: Reagan, how do the kids, How are the kids introduced
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Speaker 2: to KASA OC and how are they able to find
7:11
Speaker 2: you and get help from you?
7:12
Speaker 1: Guys?
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Speaker 4: So we are the only organization that is empowered by
7:16
Speaker 4: the juvenile Court to create these relationships while the children
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Speaker 4: are under the jurisdiction of the court for their dependency proceedings.
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Speaker 4: So we have a unique access point, and the cases
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Speaker 4: are referred to us by the judges. Sometimes they're referred
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Speaker 4: by social workers or attorneys, and sometimes they actually come
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Speaker 4: to us by way of the kids themselves. If you've
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Speaker 4: got kids that are living in a group home, let's say,
7:37
Speaker 4: and one of the other children gets picked up by
7:39
Speaker 4: their COASTA volunteer to go do something fun on the weekends,
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Speaker 4: some of the kids will hear about it and say, well,
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Speaker 4: where's my KASA volunteer. I want to get to do that.
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Speaker 4: And here in Orange County, every organization, I'll say that
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Speaker 4: there are over nine hundred and fifty nationwide, forty four
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Speaker 4: of them in California alone, in the fifty two counties.
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Speaker 4: Everyone operates a little bit differently based on jurisdictional needs,
8:00
Speaker 4: but we hear an Orange County try really hard to
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Speaker 4: foster a one on one match. We pair volunteers with
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Speaker 4: siblings when it's appropriate for the kids. So sometimes the
8:11
Speaker 4: sibling will have a CASA and the other one, you know,
8:14
Speaker 4: wants to have the exact experience or a similar experience
8:16
Speaker 4: what their kid is having. So they come to us
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Speaker 4: by by a few different ways. And oftentimes we're also
8:22
Speaker 4: empowered to look at the detention reports and files as
8:26
Speaker 4: they're coming in and to assess them to see if
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Speaker 4: it's something that we could really provide value or assist with.
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Speaker 4: These are typically the most at risk kids, with the
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Speaker 4: fewest emotional connections and maybe least likely to successfully reunify
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Speaker 4: with their family of origin to potentially emancipate out of
8:44
Speaker 4: the system into adulthood out in the real world. So
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Speaker 4: we really want to surround them with support and a
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Speaker 4: stable presence and someone that they can you know, that
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Speaker 4: they can reach out to in contact in times of
8:54
Speaker 4: trouble or need sure.
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Speaker 2: And so like Corey as a volunteer, so volunteers, she
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Speaker 2: is like a mentor. And like Corey said, right, you're
9:03
Speaker 2: you're looking always looking for more people who want to
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Speaker 2: be there. Once you meet the right how does the
9:07
Speaker 2: matching up kind of work as well? So you know
9:10
Speaker 2: you're a good fit to build a relationship with a child,
9:13
Speaker 2: you know. Like my boyfriend I have been together five years.
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Speaker 2: We don't have kids. We met later in life. We
9:17
Speaker 2: would have had great kids. It would have been so cute.
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Speaker 1: Didn't happen.
9:20
Speaker 2: We met later, but we always talk about our future
9:23
Speaker 2: with maybe mentoring or adopting and so how do you
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Speaker 2: match couples, how do you match singles? What's the requirement?
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Speaker 2: How does that part of it work? Reagan, start with
9:32
Speaker 2: you first, and then Corey, I want to ask about
9:34
Speaker 2: how the commitment to these kids fits within your lifestyle.
9:37
Speaker 1: How does it work? But Reagan, Ya, how does the
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Speaker 1: matching up part work?
9:41
Speaker 4: Yeah, So we have a team internally that is really
9:44
Speaker 4: dedicated to the matching process, carefully vetting all of our
9:48
Speaker 4: potential advocates coming through the training system and looking at
9:54
Speaker 4: who they are, what their skill sets are, what their
9:57
Speaker 4: interests are. We invite them to be a part of
10:00
Speaker 4: weighing in on the process. And then we're really thoughtfully
10:02
Speaker 4: matching with children that are coming through, trying to align
10:05
Speaker 4: interests and opportunities. And you know, I would say that
10:09
Speaker 4: we have a really good track record of making solid matches.
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Speaker 4: We do ask for a two year commitment, and that's
10:14
Speaker 4: really just to emphasize those volunteers that there is a
10:16
Speaker 4: lot of instability. There is a lot of change in
10:18
Speaker 4: these children's lives. So it's really important that if we're
10:21
Speaker 4: going to introduce you, we want it to stick. We
10:23
Speaker 4: want it to be a good match. And you're right
10:25
Speaker 4: it doesn't always work, but we have a really good
10:27
Speaker 4: track record here in Orange County of making great matches
10:30
Speaker 4: and sometimes unlikely matches, but they find the beauty in
10:34
Speaker 4: each other and it's really really lovely to see those
10:38
Speaker 4: relationships develop.
10:39
Speaker 5: I love that.
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Speaker 2: And Corey as a volunteer, how does it work with
10:42
Speaker 2: you and your family and busy schedule? How often are
10:44
Speaker 2: you able to see or talk to the kids that
10:47
Speaker 2: you've committed to and spend some quality of time together.
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Speaker 5: Yeah, so we haven't had a case since our time
10:52
Speaker 5: in Green Bay. You know, our kids, you know, we've
10:55
Speaker 5: had a kid every other year, it feels like, and
10:58
Speaker 5: we had twins on the back end.
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Speaker 3: So but we're excited.
11:01
Speaker 5: My son actually, we were on a bike ride the
11:03
Speaker 5: other day and he was just talking about you know,
11:06
Speaker 5: we were discussing about like putting together meals for the
11:08
Speaker 5: homeles during the holiday season. So like just the fact
11:11
Speaker 5: that he's intrigued by giving back and some level of philanthropy, right,
11:16
Speaker 5: they like, we're excited to get them into that space
11:20
Speaker 5: as well. And Foster, you know, Foster no point intended
11:23
Speaker 5: that that type of uh, you know, encourage that type
11:26
Speaker 5: of behavior. And so for my wife and I. We
11:29
Speaker 5: are excited to get back into it once we feel
11:31
Speaker 5: like our kids are you know, out of layout of diapersy. Yeah,
11:35
Speaker 5: we're excited to branch out here. Our case, we had
11:39
Speaker 5: two a couple of cases up in Wisconsin and they
11:41
Speaker 5: were like, it's.
11:43
Speaker 3: Tough at the beginning.
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Speaker 5: I feel like most of the cases are like this
11:47
Speaker 5: where it's it's in the beginning getting to know the kids. Uh,
11:51
Speaker 5: it can be tough. And really what you got to
11:54
Speaker 5: be in tune with is their tests and you like
11:56
Speaker 5: they want to see like are you Are you that
11:57
Speaker 5: type of person that's going to flee as soon as
12:00
Speaker 5: I give some sort of pushback because if you are,
12:03
Speaker 5: like why even start this?
12:04
Speaker 3: Right?
12:05
Speaker 5: And so you guys they're doing that obviously on a
12:07
Speaker 5: subconscious level, right. So they that was how it went
12:10
Speaker 5: with our case. Well are the joint case my wife,
12:13
Speaker 5: My wife and I had up in Green Bay, and
12:15
Speaker 5: so we got past that and it was phenomenal after that.
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Speaker 5: It was such a rewarding experience for both parties. And yeah,
12:24
Speaker 5: very very fulfilling indeed for sure.
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Speaker 4: And if I'm ay Lisa, I'll just say that to
12:29
Speaker 4: Corey's great credit though the cases you know, we're a
12:32
Speaker 4: while ago. During his tenure as a star NFL player,
12:38
Speaker 4: he was nominated for the Walter Peyton Man of Man
12:42
Speaker 4: of the Year Award twice, in twenty twenty with the
12:45
Speaker 4: Packers and in twenty twenty one with the Chargers, and
12:48
Speaker 4: during that process he can tell you better than me,
12:51
Speaker 4: but he was a huge.
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Speaker 1: You know, PASA supporter for Cossa.
12:57
Speaker 4: During the Mike Cause my cleats and featuring our logo
12:59
Speaker 4: and really trying to help spread the words. So Corey
13:02
Speaker 4: and Anna have been tremendous in lending their voice and
13:05
Speaker 4: lending their support to this cause and just really trying
13:09
Speaker 4: to help spread the word and educate people about the
13:11
Speaker 4: fact that our organization exists and how meaningful it is
13:15
Speaker 4: to participate at any level. So we are so so
13:18
Speaker 4: grateful for that.
13:19
Speaker 2: And Corey, I mean, look, you know, it's yeah, showing
13:22
Speaker 2: people how important it is to not just give back,
13:26
Speaker 2: but to invest invest in you know, these young people
13:30
Speaker 2: and invest and make them feel like they have a
13:31
Speaker 2: family and I feel like they're not going to be
13:33
Speaker 2: let down again. That had to make you feel good
13:36
Speaker 2: an award winning time, but also for being a good person,
13:39
Speaker 2: you know, not just on the field, but off the
13:42
Speaker 2: field and being a good a good a good man.
13:44
Speaker 3: For sure. I would give way more credit to my
13:47
Speaker 3: wife for spreading the words, who's much more active on
13:50
Speaker 3: social media than I am.
13:51
Speaker 5: But we're but we nonetheless we are both yeah, very
13:56
Speaker 5: happy and to champion the cause of CASS and everything
14:01
Speaker 5: that the organization, every organization across the country is about,
14:04
Speaker 5: like the're the work that they're doing. Just like you said,
14:07
Speaker 5: it's it's this direct, meaningful impact in the community that
14:11
Speaker 5: and it is like such a small time commitment, to
14:14
Speaker 5: be honest with you where but it's the consistency of it.
14:17
Speaker 5: I think we met with the kids once an hour
14:20
Speaker 5: a week, and I don't know, it's just like Reagan
14:23
Speaker 5: was speaking to I'm sure there are different rules about
14:26
Speaker 5: like the limitations of what you can you know, a
14:28
Speaker 5: cost of the cost of but honestly, like the it's
14:31
Speaker 5: the consistent presence of it, of yourself being there for them,
14:35
Speaker 5: and that in and of itself is like huge for
14:39
Speaker 5: these kids. It makes a world of difference and and
14:43
Speaker 5: obviously you get you get some benefit out of it,
14:45
Speaker 5: you know, feeling.
14:46
Speaker 3: Like you did made an impact in your.
14:47
Speaker 2: Community, and it's so much more than just you know,
14:50
Speaker 2: going to Deaseland once a year. Right, It's more than
14:52
Speaker 2: just theme parks. Is more than just the wooing and
14:54
Speaker 2: the wow and let's go here, let's go there.
14:56
Speaker 1: It's it's that.
14:57
Speaker 2: Getting to know each other, the bonding, the time, the
15:00
Speaker 2: listening and the care. Right, and then you have exchanged
15:04
Speaker 2: phone numbers. You could probably talk more often than that
15:06
Speaker 2: than just in person, right, Reagan, is that how it
15:08
Speaker 2: works as well? Too?
15:09
Speaker 4: You can, But I really want to double down on
15:11
Speaker 4: what you're saying. I mean, we have kids, Lisa, that
15:15
Speaker 4: have never been complimented, you know, by anyone. I mean,
15:20
Speaker 4: there was not someone in that. I got a letter
15:21
Speaker 4: from one of our advocates on Friday who received this
15:25
Speaker 4: letter was sent to her by the youth with whom
15:27
Speaker 4: she's matched, a young man kind of a you know,
15:30
Speaker 4: tough teenage boy who's you know, not probably doesn't in
15:35
Speaker 4: gender thoughts of being kind of this you know, softy.
15:37
Speaker 4: But this letter was so beautiful that he wrote to
15:40
Speaker 4: her about how she is the most important person in
15:42
Speaker 4: his life and that she was the first person who
15:45
Speaker 4: ever complimented him and told him that he was worth something.
15:47
Speaker 4: I mean, so Disneyland is great, But what these volunteers
15:51
Speaker 4: are actually instilling and giving to these kids, as Corey said,
15:55
Speaker 4: I mean, you know, they're not going to necessarily show
15:58
Speaker 4: you all their cards right away. They have been hurt
16:00
Speaker 4: and let down by the people who are supposed to
16:02
Speaker 4: love them unconditionally and show up for them and in
16:05
Speaker 4: good times and bad, so they're a little bit, you know,
16:09
Speaker 4: gun shy sometimes to make a strong connection or to
16:12
Speaker 4: be vulnerable with you and might just test you to
16:15
Speaker 4: see if you're going to stick around. But I think
16:18
Speaker 4: that it just goes to show that those interactions, that
16:22
Speaker 4: consistent presence really is making such a tremendous difference, and
16:27
Speaker 4: it's really helping them from the inside out in terms
16:30
Speaker 4: of their self confidence, their self esteem. There's no price
16:32
Speaker 4: you can really put on that, and I don't know
16:34
Speaker 4: that you get that from a day at Disneyland, but
16:36
Speaker 4: it is those micro moments of being there consistently that
16:39
Speaker 4: make a difference.
16:39
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'd like to say if you have room in
16:41
Speaker 2: your heart, if you have room in your heart to
16:45
Speaker 2: make a difference in someone's life, this could be a
16:47
Speaker 2: great place to start. Reaganar Are people able to apply online?
16:51
Speaker 2: How does this application part of it, start to be
16:53
Speaker 2: volunteer and then we're going to talk about you event
16:55
Speaker 2: on December fifth.
16:55
Speaker 1: But how do we apply?
16:57
Speaker 2: How do we reach out if we want to show
16:58
Speaker 2: some interests and learn more. What's the best to go
17:00
Speaker 2: about doing that part of it?
17:01
Speaker 4: Yeah, thank you for asking. The best way is just
17:04
Speaker 4: to visit our website ATKSOC dot org. You sign up
17:08
Speaker 4: for an info session, and it's really an opportunity. It's
17:11
Speaker 4: the first line of defense for potential volunteers to learn
17:14
Speaker 4: about who we are, what we're about, make sure that
17:17
Speaker 4: they have their questions answered, to see if they can
17:19
Speaker 4: take the next step to becoming a volunteer, because we do,
17:22
Speaker 4: you know, we make them work forward a little bit.
17:23
Speaker 4: It's a volunteer opportunity, but I'd like to say it's
17:26
Speaker 4: a sophisticated volunteer opportunity. We have a lot of training
17:30
Speaker 4: on the front end, thirty two hours of training. We
17:32
Speaker 4: are going to do a background check as a conduit
17:34
Speaker 4: to the most vulnerable term our community. We've got to
17:36
Speaker 4: make sure we're working with safe and appropriate adults. We're
17:40
Speaker 4: going to interview you, do some reference checks. But once
17:43
Speaker 4: you get sworn in and you're part of our community.
17:46
Speaker 4: I mean, we exist as an organization to ensure that
17:48
Speaker 4: that volunteer is successful and they feel supported and appreciated
17:51
Speaker 4: and have opportunities to do fun things with their youth
17:55
Speaker 4: and not really have to think too much about how
17:56
Speaker 4: they're going to spend that time. So we exist as
17:59
Speaker 4: an organization to really anchor and that advocate and success
18:04
Speaker 4: and help them navigate the process.
18:06
Speaker 2: And once again we're on with the CEO of kasa
18:08
Speaker 2: OC Reaganding Phillips and NFL Star and kasa OC volunteer
18:12
Speaker 2: Corey Linsley. Kasa OC stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates.
18:17
Speaker 2: Their organization provides trained volunteers to advocate for these kids
18:20
Speaker 2: and the foster care system that have been through so much.
18:24
Speaker 2: Volunteers are appointed by the court to get to know
18:27
Speaker 2: a child, review their case, and make recommendations to the
18:30
Speaker 2: judge to ensure that the child's.
18:32
Speaker 1: Best interests are heard and met.
18:34
Speaker 2: The goal is to provide a consistent and reliable adult
18:36
Speaker 2: presence for the child as they navigate the complex foster
18:40
Speaker 2: care system.
18:41
Speaker 4: The kids that we serve, yes, yeah, the kids that
18:44
Speaker 4: we serve, I mean, certainly in the foster care system.
18:47
Speaker 4: You've got children from birth to age twenty one. I
18:50
Speaker 4: would say the bulk of the use that we serve
18:52
Speaker 4: are probably right in that thirteen to fifteen age range,
18:56
Speaker 4: kind of when they're transitioning into teenagers, and it can
19:01
Speaker 4: be a little bit difficult. Oftentimes adoption hasn't occurred or
19:05
Speaker 4: they haven't successfully reunified, so it's a really critical point
19:09
Speaker 4: to help them prepare for adulthood. We in terms of volunteer,
19:12
Speaker 4: we're looking for folks that are twenty one going to
19:15
Speaker 4: clear those extensive background checks. Of course, open heart, open mind.
19:19
Speaker 4: We will literally give you the rest. You don't need
19:21
Speaker 4: to have any expertise in the law of social works,
19:23
Speaker 4: that any of those things. You even have to have
19:25
Speaker 4: your own kids. We will give you everything that you
19:28
Speaker 4: need to be successful in your match.
19:30
Speaker 1: I think you just have to have love. You have
19:31
Speaker 1: to have love. You have to have love.
19:32
Speaker 2: You have to want to invest in love and loving
19:35
Speaker 2: others right and really love on these kids who really
19:38
Speaker 2: need it.
19:38
Speaker 1: They need that love and to know it's going to stay,
19:41
Speaker 1: it's going to stick around.
19:42
Speaker 4: They do. And I think it's the open mind piece
19:44
Speaker 4: to you understanding that not everyone has had the same background.
19:47
Speaker 4: There's a birth lottery out there and these kids did
19:49
Speaker 4: not win it. You know, they've experienced a lot, they've
19:52
Speaker 4: seen a lot, and it may be a little I
19:56
Speaker 4: think Corey used the word illuminating to see how some
20:00
Speaker 4: of these kids have experienced life up to this point,
20:03
Speaker 4: and so you really kind of have to temper your
20:04
Speaker 4: expectations a little bit. But again, we've got to support
20:08
Speaker 4: group here and our staff to help you navigate all
20:12
Speaker 4: of that.
20:12
Speaker 2: Founded in nineteen eighty five with major support from the
20:15
Speaker 2: Junior League of Orange County, kasa OC serves over one
20:18
Speaker 2: thousand kids each year who move through the Orange County
20:21
Speaker 2: child welfare system as a result of abuse and neglect.
20:25
Speaker 2: Cost of volunteers whom they're hoping you might be interested
20:28
Speaker 2: in getting involved with COSTA volunteers commit to a minimum
20:31
Speaker 2: of two years with a young person in the child
20:33
Speaker 2: welfare system. Each volunteer undergoes extensive training to learn how
20:37
Speaker 2: to best connect with their youth, and cosses will often
20:41
Speaker 2: assist young people in navigating the complex child welfare system
20:44
Speaker 2: while balancing school and home life.
20:47
Speaker 1: And so much more so, Reagan, right now.
20:49
Speaker 2: How many people would you say, how many young people
20:52
Speaker 2: are available through COSTA OC to be mentored. I know
20:55
Speaker 2: you help one thousand plus eight each year, but how
20:57
Speaker 2: many are available right now that need to be mentored,
21:00
Speaker 2: need a mentor?
21:01
Speaker 1: In the hundreds right, it's hundreds.
21:02
Speaker 4: And in Orange County right now, we have three hundred
21:04
Speaker 4: and sixty three kids on our waitlist as of this morning.
21:06
Speaker 4: That is the highest number that we've had. Oh wow,
21:08
Speaker 4: And that's not even and we're serving. At any given point,
21:11
Speaker 4: We've probably got about six hundred and fifty active matches
21:13
Speaker 4: walking around. There are sixteen one hundred matches that were
21:18
Speaker 4: hopeful to make over the course of a year, and
21:21
Speaker 4: right around three thousand kids in care and foster in
21:24
Speaker 4: Orange County. In foster care, we're even, we're not even
21:27
Speaker 4: able to serve every child, but we're really trying to
21:30
Speaker 4: prioritize the ones that have the fewest emotional supports and contacts.
21:35
Speaker 4: And California as a state has the most kids in
21:38
Speaker 4: care as of the nation with over four hundred thousand
21:41
Speaker 4: in the United States, it's over sixty thousand in state
21:43
Speaker 4: of California, which has the highest number of kids in care.
21:47
Speaker 2: So many, so many that need us, need our love,
21:50
Speaker 2: need our patients, need our kindness, And look you come
21:54
Speaker 2: together a couple of times a year. Right, you do
21:55
Speaker 2: the fundraising throughout the year. You have a big event
21:57
Speaker 2: onto summer, the fifth, big fundraiser. Core You're going to
22:00
Speaker 2: beat this. You better be at this, Corey, come on now,
22:02
Speaker 2: Friends of KASA Holiday Luncheon.
22:04
Speaker 1: That's got your name written all over it. Waldorf First story.
22:06
Speaker 3: Ye, come on, yeah, I hope. So we are right.
22:12
Speaker 4: Yeah, we've got we've always got seats for Corey and Anna.
22:15
Speaker 3: Yeah, my wife as we showed up to there.
22:18
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, she's a Anna is a regular. She is
22:21
Speaker 4: she is event.
22:23
Speaker 2: So let's dive into someverer the fifth. It's the Friends
22:26
Speaker 2: of Kasa Holiday Luncheon. Tickets are available at the beautiful
22:29
Speaker 2: Waldorf Astory at Law and Arc Beach.
22:32
Speaker 4: Yes, this is our annual Friends of CASA Holiday Luncheon
22:35
Speaker 4: and fashion show. We do this event and partnership with
22:38
Speaker 4: Soft Coast Plaza. Every year we get a new fashion
22:40
Speaker 4: partner and there's a full sort of fashion week style
22:45
Speaker 4: runway show. This year our partner is Monique Lulier. It's
22:48
Speaker 4: going to be a beautiful show, super elegant and feminine,
22:51
Speaker 4: and then there's a luncheon as well. There's a program
22:54
Speaker 4: where we hear from somebody who's experienced our services, either
22:58
Speaker 4: as a as an advocate. We've had some former youth
23:00
Speaker 4: speak this year, we're going to have well we're having it.
23:03
Speaker 4: We're having an advocate speak and share her story. We
23:07
Speaker 4: also have prior to the event a cocktail hour where
23:10
Speaker 4: there's an incredible silent auction. There's our Starfish trees, which
23:14
Speaker 4: we're sort of famous for. Every tree which are sponsored
23:18
Speaker 4: by Barkley but Terra has an ornament that is designed
23:21
Speaker 4: by Tim Ree, a local artist here in Orange County,
23:24
Speaker 4: with a wish that each of our youth individually and
23:27
Speaker 4: uniquely prepare to have granted by one of our guests
23:31
Speaker 4: and anything, you know, yeah, and outing a special outing
23:34
Speaker 4: with their advocate, to you know, a fishing pole, to
23:37
Speaker 4: tennis shoes so that they can participate on the tennis team.
23:40
Speaker 4: It's it's really a wide variety of needs that are
23:43
Speaker 4: presented on those trees and a great opportunity for the
23:45
Speaker 4: community to be a part of helping each child have
23:48
Speaker 4: those wishes come true.
23:50
Speaker 2: Absolutely, And you know Reagan and Corey the radio station.
23:54
Speaker 2: We have a big event at not Spray Farm, that's
23:56
Speaker 2: Mary Farm December eleventh, we privately take over the entire
24:00
Speaker 2: so we should discuss off there how maybe we can
24:02
Speaker 2: invite some of the kids, We should do it.
24:04
Speaker 4: I would love that, Yeah, I would love that.
24:07
Speaker 2: So much need and so much love that these kids need.
24:10
Speaker 2: And again legally you advocating for them is such a
24:13
Speaker 2: huge part of just stepping up for these kids. Like
24:16
Speaker 2: you said, so many kids you've been through a really
24:18
Speaker 2: rough part of life and it could be better. We
24:21
Speaker 2: could do better, we can do more, we can love
24:23
Speaker 2: on them more, and we can get more involved. Just
24:25
Speaker 2: to open your eyes to considering doing this volunteering like
24:29
Speaker 2: a Cory has and like Reagan, You've you know, worked
24:32
Speaker 2: so hard, so much of your dedication has been to
24:34
Speaker 2: this organization, and so thank you for all that you
24:36
Speaker 2: both do and giving back. If you're interested in finding
24:40
Speaker 2: out how to be a part of this, considering to
24:42
Speaker 2: be a Costa volunteer, a Costa mentor for these kids,
24:45
Speaker 2: Please know that once a child is teamed up with
24:48
Speaker 2: a Costa volunteer, hopefully you you make that commitment. You
24:51
Speaker 2: make that to your commitment to truly being there for
24:54
Speaker 2: a child in need, a child who has been through
24:57
Speaker 2: the unthinkable.
24:59
Speaker 1: Most of these cases, Yes.
25:00
Speaker 2: They are so much more likely to graduate from high school,
25:03
Speaker 2: so much more likely to believe in this world, to
25:06
Speaker 2: believe and hope, to have hope that they're to make it.
25:09
Speaker 2: They are loved, they are worthy, they are wanted, they
25:13
Speaker 2: are needed, and they are loved. That's what this program
25:17
Speaker 2: provides can provide thanks to your commitment. Find out more
25:21
Speaker 2: at KASAOC dot org. At c asa OC dot org
25:26
Speaker 2: there's a wealth of information on there as to how
25:29
Speaker 2: it all works and see if it's right fit for you. Again,
25:32
Speaker 2: Reagan the CEO of KASA OC, Reagan'scot Kids, NFL Star
25:37
Speaker 2: and KASA volunteer Corey Linsley and his wife, They've got
25:40
Speaker 2: four kids and they have been making this lifestyle work helping.
25:44
Speaker 1: Kids for years. It's doable, it's meaningful.
25:48
Speaker 2: It adds so much value to these kids' lives who
25:51
Speaker 2: have been through so much, and added value to your
25:54
Speaker 2: life too and to your family, and hey even just
25:57
Speaker 2: to meet some like many people who like helping kids,
26:00
Speaker 2: Maybe buy a ticket to their December fifth Friends of
26:03
Speaker 2: KASA Holiday Luncheon Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Fashion presentation by
26:07
Speaker 2: Monique Lulier could be a great way to open the
26:09
Speaker 2: door to the conversation.
26:11
Speaker 1: Something new for the new year, something new for.
26:13
Speaker 2: You, something needed for these kids, and just maybe a
26:17
Speaker 2: wonderful opportunity for you to just love on love on
26:19
Speaker 2: these kids and that gives back to your heart too,
26:21
Speaker 2: big time.
26:22
Speaker 1: All the info at CASAOC dot org. Yep, did I
26:26
Speaker 1: get it.
26:27
Speaker 4: That's it.
26:28
Speaker 2: Reagan and Corey, thank you so much, any parting words.
26:31
Speaker 2: Corey and you and your wife, thank you again so
26:33
Speaker 2: much for all that you do to get back to
26:34
Speaker 2: these kids, having your own beautiful family and then loving
26:37
Speaker 2: on these kids and being a part of you know,
26:40
Speaker 2: the kasa OC family.
26:41
Speaker 5: Absolutely and thank you. Appreciate you doing your part to
26:44
Speaker 5: get the word out. And yeah, we very we highly
26:47
Speaker 5: encourage everybody out there too if you have the opportunity,
26:50
Speaker 5: at the time, the effort to do this. Yeah, we
26:53
Speaker 5: very much encourage it, not only for these kids, for
26:56
Speaker 5: yourself as well.
26:57
Speaker 1: Reagan.
26:58
Speaker 4: Yeah, I just you know, what we say around here
27:00
Speaker 4: is showing up is extraordinary and I just think that
27:04
Speaker 4: we could all be showing up a little bit more
27:06
Speaker 4: in our community and for the kids that really need it.
27:09
Speaker 4: So if you want to be a part of something,
27:11
Speaker 4: something truly meaningful and change the trajectory of a child's life.
27:15
Speaker 4: This is the place to do it and we welcome you.
27:17
Speaker 2: So Thank you so much, Reagan and Corey kasac dot
27:21
Speaker 2: org for all the info KASAOC dot org.
27:24
Speaker 1: Thank you guys, so much.
27:25
Speaker 4: Thank you, Lisa