Author Archives: Pam Robinson

Volunteers needed for the CASA Walk and beyond!!!

Richland County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) provides and represents Guardians ad Litem for abused and neglected children when their cases go to court. The Guardians are the voice of the abused children in the court room.

We have had more abused and neglected kids enter the system than ever before, and we desperately need more volunteers to advocate for these children. Please come out September 29th at Saluda Shoals Park and enjoy a family fun event and learn how you can become a superhero for abused children.

The event starts off with a 5K, with family-fun activities and food to follow. And….we just got word that the deputies of “Live PD” will be there with us! We are looking for people to participate in the event (running/walking the 5k), volunteer at the event, and/or sponsor foster children so that they can attend the event. You can register for the 5k here: https://www.strictlyrunning.com/gpuilGroupTip.asp?uRaceId=2883&uGroup

If you have questions, please email Clare Kelly at kellyce2@email.sc.edu. Thanks so much!

Curiosity

I ran across this interesting article this summer and think it might provoke some original thinking.  Why Curious People Have Better Relationships by Jill Suttie is based on novel research. She notes that curious people seem to be better protected from negative social experiences like rejection. Curious people are more resilient and cope better. Research is not sure if you can be trained to be more curious but it can be piqued by deliberate actions. The author remarks ” …our greatest regrets don’t come from trying and failing but from not approaching at all.”

Read the entire short article https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_curious_people_have_better_relationships

New Semester, New Projects

We have added two new volunteer opportunities this semester.  The first one is the Homeless Court- Case Preparation Project. Volunteers will be assigned by the 5th Circuit Public Defender’s Office to a case that is pending before the Homeless Court. With some guidelines in hand the volunteer will seek information, interview the client, contact the service providers and do what is necessary to prepare the case for a hearing before the Homeless Court.  There is even a possibility that the volunteer can help present the information gathered to the Court. The Homeless Court meets at 2 at Transitions on the last Tuesday of each month.

The other new project also involves the 5th Circuit Public Defender’s Office- a Special Research Project. Volunteers will work in teams to collect information about topical resources, assemble into a coherent package and draft next steps for clients. Topics range from common Family Court  issues such as custody, visitation and divorce; Section 8 housing; and expungement.  These Need-To-Know materials will be valuable resource with several projects now and in the future.

Both projects have full job descriptions on the Pro Bono Website at: https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/law/internal/department/pro_bono/student/index.php

Sign up to volunteer online: http://support.uofsclaw.org/pro-bono-program/volunteer-enrollment-form/