SALLY SCHNEIDER, a Woodford County-based volunteer for the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Lexington, received the “Serve Kentucky” award at the Woodford County Fiscal Court March 10 meeting. From left, CASA of Lexington Executive Director Melynda Jamison, Sally and Woodford County Judge-Executive James Kay. (Photo by Scott White)
By Bob Kleppinger
Special to the Sun
Two Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers were honored at the Woodford County Fiscal Court meeting on Tuesday, March 10, for giving hundreds of hours to help abused and neglected children.
Sally Schneider and Erin Hall were both recognized for volunteering more than 100 hours each in 2025 as CASA volunteers. Both earned Serve Kentucky awards signed by Gov. Andy Beshear.
Hall could not attend the meeting, but Schneider was on hand to accept her award.
CASA of Lexington Executive Director Melynda Jamison said Schneider is one of the program’s longest-serving CASA volunteers, who began serving in Fayette County before there was a Woodford County CASA program.
The Serve Kentucky Volunteer Recognition Program is a partnership among the Office of the Governor, AmeriCorps and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. It recognizes volunteers who make a difference by giving their time within the state of Kentucky.
CASA volunteers are matched in the family court system with children who have been abused or neglected. Each volunteer visits their CASA child at least monthly, gathers information about the child’s life, provides reports to the judge on the child’s case and speaks up if the child needs something they are not receiving.
Last year, 22 CASA volunteers in Woodford County advocated for 51 abused and neglected Woodford County children. Jamison said that means just under half of the children in Woodford with open abuse and neglect cases have a CASA volunteer.
Jamison said volunteers are always needed, and all necessary training is provided by CASA. Across CASA of Lexington’s seven-county region, fewer than 20 percent of children get a CASA volunteer, and statewide, the percentage is around 8 percent, Jamison said.
“So if we want to track how we’re doing, Woodford County is in the positive, just running at a high level (of providing the needed services),” she said. “But we’re not going to stop until we’re at 100 percent because we believe every child deserves a safe and permanent home.”
Children who receive CASA volunteers can do better in school, receive more services ordered by the judge and be far less likely to be abused or neglected again.
Woodford County Judge-Executive James Kay said it was refreshing to hear about the good work being done in Woodford County for children.
“Our children are our most precious asset, and we entrust them to some really great people (involved with CASA),” he said.
It takes about five to 10 hours a month to serve as a CASA volunteer. If you are interested in becoming a CASA volunteer, supporting the Woodford County CASA program or learning more about what CASA volunteers do, visit www.casaoflexington.org.