All Endings Offer New Beginnings

By Nancy Stewart

I was once a young single mother…only 20 years old, never married and in my second year of college, my options seemed very limited. It was hard to look too far into the future and imagine anything beyond the struggle of raising my daughter on my own, maneuvering the complexity of human services to ensure that we had housing and food, as well as work and finish school. I definitely had moments when I dreamed of a life full of adventures, travel and minimal responsibilities; the kind of life many people enjoy in their 20’s.

Fast forward 30 years and those dreams are finally a possibility. My husband and I are hoping to spend a  portion of each year living in Europe and, in anticipation of this new era in our lives, I will be leaving my position at Child Advocates – Denver CASA by the early fall. It’s definitely a bittersweet decision. Being the Executive Director of Denver CASA has been an honor. It hasn’t been easy, of course, as we have worked hard the past three years to build our revenue streams and increase the number of active CASA Volunteers. But I often tell people that it is the best job I have ever had. Not only do we have a smart and dedicated staff, we also have an incredible Board of Directors who drive our strategic vision, ensuring that we are sustainable and achieving our mission. It has been my privilege to work with all these people over the last three years.

I have been inspired and amazed by the work of CASA Volunteers on behalf of the kids we serve, and having been a CASA Volunteer myself, understand the importance of our role. Nothing summed up my feelings about leaving Denver CASA then the words of one of the kids I have been assigned to as we anticipated the closing of his case: He told me “I don’t mean any disrespect, and I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I don’t want to hang out with you anymore. I just want this all to be done.” I reassured him that my feelings weren’t at all hurt, that I was thrilled that he was in place in his life where he could enjoy all the great things childhood had to offer and hanging out with me (fun as I am) was no longer needed. It felt like the perfect ending to my time at Denver CASA.

And since all endings offer new beginnings, our Board of Directors has assigned a Search Committee the task of finding my replacement and I have the utmost confidence that they will find the right person to lead Denver CASA forward. I will be helping with that transition and look forward to introducing them to our incredible Denver CASA family and community. If you have any questions about the search or the transition, please contact our Search Committee at [email protected].

Of course. You know I have to take a moment to remind you that, as always, we need your support! Please join us for our End of Summer Soiree “There’s No Place Like Home” event on Saturday, September 21. Click here to buy your tickets and I will see you there!