Saturday April 22nd was my seventh year attending CASA’s annual Celebration of Children’s Black & White Ball.

CASA is an organization I have been involved with since college, initially because it was my sorority’s national charity (Kappa Alpha Theta). Volunteering and getting involved within my community have always been fulfilling for me and the mission of CASA had captured my heart, so upon graduating, I decided to get further involved as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). I went through training and within a couple months was officially sworn into the court system by an Orange County judge to be an advocate. That was in late 2010 and since then, I have had two cases.

I can go on and on about my experience and love for CASA, but the inspiration behind this post is to share that each year I am consistently in awe of the generosity and compassion our local philanthropists have. I’ve come to see that when someone feels  and understands a cause, he or she will give – whether it be their time, talent or treasure.  The CASA Gala is always a fun reminder of this – people spontaneously raising their bid paddles to donate $100,000…. $50,000… it just wows me away!

There are several ways to get involved with a cause or organization you feel near and dear to. In a later post, I will share resources that can help get you started. I believe that so many of us want to get involved – it’s a matter of knowing where and how to begin and also having a little thing called time (unless it’s your treasure you want to share).