David Cavanaugh doesn’t complain about the drive to Riverside County to see the two boys he’s matched with as their CASA. As he puts it, “It’s not that bad. I got into this to help meet the needs of kids, and it seems like the kids who are placed out of the county often have greater needs—because fewer people are willing to make that drive.”

In fact, David’s very first CASA match was with a child living outside the county. “During training, they would read bios of children waiting for a CASA,” he recalls. “One youth had been living in a group home in Riverside County and had already been waiting two years. I figured I could take him on since I was retired and had the time.”

Over the past seven years as a CASA volunteer, David has found countless ways to support the children and young adults CASA serves. He has been matched with five different youth, including his current sibling set, two brothers—now ages 10 and 15. Beyond his direct advocacy work, David is an active member of the Men of CASA affinity group and regularly volunteers at CASA events, like the golf tournament, the youth holiday party, and helps the recruitment team at community events.

At last year’s CASA holiday party, David could be found handing out handmade pillowcases sewn and donated by his quilting group. “My youth weren’t able to attend this year,” he said, “so I just got to hand out pillowcases and interact with all the kids and their CASAs. It was so much fun—there was so much joy.”

Before retiring, David worked as a marriage and family therapist at a school for children with special needs. One of his students had a CASA who held the youth’s Educational Rights and that’s how David first learned of the program. “Because the student had significant behavioral and emotional needs, I worked closely with his CASA,” David explains. “I asked him a lot of questions about the role and tucked it away for when I retired.” After taking some time to relax upon retirement, David realized he missed working with kids—and soon after, he signed up for CASA training.

When Men of CASA launched a few years ago to provide male advocates a space to connect and support one another, David jumped right in. One goal of the group is to help recruit more men to volunteer. David reflects, “At first I had mixed feelings—I didn’t want to diminish the contributions of women—but I’ve found that many women are strong supporters of Men of CASA. It’s helpful to talk with other men about working with boys.” He adds, “There are a lot of boys being raised by single mothers without a consistent male role model. Generally speaking, men often encourage kids to take risks, while women encourage caution. Both are important - it’s powerful when kids can experience that balance.”

CASA recently began matching advocates with sibling sets in an attempt to serve more of the hundreds of children on the CASA waitlist. David notes that advocating for siblings can bring new challenges. “It sometimes feels like more work because I spend a lot of time supporting the relationship between the two of them, not just engaging in activities.” Still, he wouldn’t change a thing. “These boys really need it. Their background was very deprived—they weren’t out in the world much and didn’t attend school consistently. Almost everything we do feels like a first for them.” Together, they’ve gone ice skating, bowling, viewed dinosaur bones at a museum, and attended a car and motorcycle show.

The boys also face significant educational gaps. “The older one has an IEP, so I regularly check in with his teachers,” David explains. “The younger one wasn’t enrolled in school until midway through second grade, missed 30% of third grade, and has already missed a fair amount of fourth grade.” David attended meetings to ensure the younger brother received special education assessments and is now involved in the process of building a 504 plan. “I attend all of those meetings,” he says.

Jordan Brown, David’s Advocate Supervisor, speaks highly of his commitment: “David has been nothing short of extraordinary. Despite long drives to Riverside, he shows up every time—fully present and fully committed. He consistently participates in educational and social services meetings. When additional school assessments were needed, David persistently followed up until the boys received the support they deserved. His level of engagement goes far beyond what’s expected.”

Recently, reunification with the boys’ father seemed within reach. Their father had completed required programming and was approved for unsupervised overnight visits. He was close to securing housing and beginning a trial reunification. Tragically, this progress was halted by his unexpected death, suspected to be an overdose.

“Through this devastating loss, David remained steadfast. He committed to continuing his advocacy, offering stability, compassion, and consistency as the boys and their family navigated profound grief. In their darkest moment, David became a steady and guiding presence,” shares Jordan.

David says, “Fortunately, the boys have lots of wraparound services including counseling and the judge is really great. They have another brother who is at Orangewood with his own CASA. The judge always acknowledges both CASAs in the courtroom and asks us if we have any things we need to share.” 

Reflecting on his many roles within CASA, David is unequivocal. “I can’t say enough good things about CASA. Everyone I’ve interacted with is wonderful. It’s as easy to talk to Regan the CEO, as it is to talk to Jenny the Chief Program Officer, as it is with my fellow CASAs. The tone really comes from the top.”

He adds, “Being a CASA is either right for you or it’s not—there’s no in-between. For me, being able to change a child’s life is the greatest thing in the world. It doesn’t get any better than that. I’m all in when it comes to CASA.”

If you’d like to learn more about volunteering with CASA, please email Norma Mendoza or sign up to attend an upcoming Information Session.