GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Lou Shea speaks for the children who cannot speak for themselves.
Someone to ensure the child is heard in court and kept safe at home.
Sheboygan Co. mother found competent to stand trial for strangling, killing 8-year-old son
She’s been doing this for 25 years.
“You know some of these kids have been through horrific things,” Shea revealed. “Things that you or I, as a whole, would never experience. But they’re just amazing.”
It’s the kind of work that can bring you to tears or make you smile.
“The adoptive cases when you know this child is in a better place, those are the happy endings.”
She admits not all cases end with the storybook conclusion. But that has never stopped her from trying.
It all started one day when Shea saw a call for volunteers on the news.
“Both of my kids, at the time, left for college and I thought that would be something interesting to do.”
Interesting and time-consuming.
While social workers might have dozens of cases, CASA volunteers focus on one or two at a time.
Shea visits with the child at least once a week.
Not to mention the 12 hours of mandatory training and re-training each year.
It adds up over time, but she figures if the kids have the fight in them why not fight for them?
“They’re so resilient.”
All they need is a voice.
Shea and her fellow volunteers will be celebrated this Saturday at the 10th anniversary of the CASAblanca gala.
It starts at 5 pm at the Double Tree Hilton in Neenah.
Local 5’s Michele McCormack is honored to serve as emcee for the evening.
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FBI and the Untouchable Horns wants to perform.
There will also be live and silent auctions to raise money for the non-profit CASA of the Fox Cities, so it can recruit and train more dedicated volunteers like Shea.
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