Bloomfield Firefighter Gives Back to Children in Need
BLOOMFIELD, NJ–CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) of New Jersey is a nationwide organization that provides advocates for young people, ages birth to 21, in foster care. A lot of the kids are in the foster system for several years after having been removed from their biological homes and the purpose of CASA is to help them either get adopted or become independent and set up in life so that they do not turn down negative paths.
Because of this, CASA is in need of some male influence.
Bloomfield firefighter Oscar Morales, who has been with the BFD for five years, got involved with CASA as an advocate this year and is no stranger to volunteer work. He believes that CASA provides a great opportunity to get involved with the community and unify humanity. In fact, Essex County’s CASA, which is based out of Essex County Courthouse in Newark, has the biggest demand for volunteers.
“Right in our backyard there’s plenty of people who need help. There are people out and about all the time,” says Morales, “I have conversations with people and I had no clue that they are going through such as tough time. That’s where the smile comes in. If you’re a bit more engaging, you can break down their walls and say ‘Hey, we’re the same. We’re going through different types of lifestyles or different situations, but we’re all the same.’ We’re all going through different variances of life.”
Right now CASA is very abundant in female advocates, which is a large quantity in comparison to the ratio of foster children. There are around 2,000 kids in the foster care system in Essex County alone, 53% male and 47% female, but right now males only account for about 10% of about 700 advocates.
“These kids need consistent male figures in their lives advocating for them, letting them know that they are not alone” says Morales, “Guys can relate a little better to the young boys and women with the girls, but we don’t have enough guys. Even the girls need a positive male role model. It’s hard to connect with certain kids. Some of them are going to have a better connection with men.”
Advocates undergo 33 hours of training and then must get sworn in by a judge. Each advocate is assigned to specific children depending on their cases and is responsible for not only providing guidance but also being a voice on their behalf, such as speaking with their teachers, doctors, guardians, and judges.
“This is something that takes time. It’s a real commitment,” Morales explains, “The point is to help the kids.”
On September 6 at 6:30 PM, CASA will be holding an information session event at Bloomfield Steakhouse to garner some interest in male volunteers.
“There could be somebody out there looking for this very opportunity,” says Morales, “Everybody wants to do something, but they don’t know how to get involved or they wish somebody would say something. That’s the case with a lot of people. Even with these kids, we have to teach them that there is a way, maybe better than what they are doing. Like with my kids, maybe there’s a better way than what he wants to do.”
Of course, women are also welcome. “It’s good having that support system. If people notice a group getting together anywhere, they’re going to be drawn to it.”
Morales says that he himself has learned and grown so much through CASA.
“Hopefully we can make some type of difference in these kids’ lives. Even if you change one kid’s life, it will be worth it. We are all connected and we should go through life together.”