Marc Potter comes across as a pragmatic guy. He spent a career programming computers which seems like a good fit for his logical way of looking at the world. Marc first learned of CASA from his late wife who was reading a book where a character was a court-appointed advocate. He says, “I was looking for something to do since I was newly retired, and my wife said, ‘You outta look into this.’ So I went to the CASA website, attended the orientation and thought, ‘This looks like something I can do.’ I went through the training, got sworn-in and was soon matched with two brothers.”
When asked in his initial CASA interview what he expected as a new advocate, Marc, in his pragmatic way, said, “I bet the kid won’t talk to me for 6 months, I hope for a kid that loves me the first day, and I know the truth is somewhere in the middle.” Now, a few years in, he says that was about right. He adds, “The boys had a hard time wrapping their heads around the fact that I wasn’t getting paid to be there. Everyone else around them, their social workers, therapists, even their caregivers, are paid to be there for them.
He’s now been an advocate for the boys for the past three years. One of the two is in the process of being adopted, but Marc says he will still remain in the boy’s life. “Technically, I will no longer be his CASA but I will still maintain contact because I don’t want him to feel abandoned by me.” In the past, CASA tried to limit matches to just one youth per CASA, but with so many youth on the waiting list, hoping for a CASA, more advocates like Marc are taking on sibling sets. He will soon be matched with an additional youth as well.
Marc says the boys have been in a pretty stable placement and are good advocates for what they need. He spends his time with them doing fun things like taking them out to eat, “They’re teenagers so they love fast food,” he says. He takes them out bowling and to play video games. Sometimes they go shopping to get little things, and he was able to get one brother a skateboard through a Starfish Wish.
One of the boys recently told him, “You're one of the only people I can be myself with.” Marc says their grandfather told him the boys look forward to their visits together. When asked what he gets out of being an advocate, Marc responds by saying matter of factly, “I don’t know, but I’m still doing it. It’s hard to give a specific answer but I feel like I’m accomplishing something.”
He has high praise for CASA OC, “CASA OC knows what it’s doing and does it well. They treat their volunteers well. My supervisor Mary Ordonio tells me what I need to know but is not a micro-manager in any way. I’ve worked with her as my supervisor the entire time. I ask her advice on the occasional dos and don’ts; Is a temporary tattoo permitted? Can my youth ride on my motorcycle?”
Mary says she nominated Marc as Advocate of the Month due to his passion and dedication for being an advocate. “Throughout his time as a CASA, Marc has truly embodied the organization's core values, offering unwavering commitment and care. Marc not only provides steady, thoughtful support to the youth he’s matched with, but he also plays an active role in raising community awareness for CASA OC. Whether he’s tabling at local events or engaging with our Men of CASA affinity group, Marc brings enthusiasm, heart, and a spirit of service to everything he does,” she says.
Since losing his wife late last year, Marc has dedicated his free time to helping CASA in multiple ways beyond being an advocate. He’s very active in the Men of CASA group which was formed to provide connection for CASA’s male advocates. Marc describes his involvement, “It’s a little different being a male CASA since we’re such a small group. We talk about what we’re doing with our boys - many of the boys are Non-Minor Dependents (NMDs) so their interests are different than with the younger kids. Men of CASA is more about supporting each other. We meet quarterly and brainstorm ways to recruit more men.”
Marc Potter pictured left at the Men of CASA Mixer where he won a signed football by the LA Chargers
According to Marc, men like measurable results and he often shares the statistic that the average youth in foster care has a 57% chance of graduating high school. The same youth, when matched with a CASA, has a 96% chance to earn a high school diploma. He says, ”Men like that, they think, ‘Oooh I can make a big difference!’” Marc shared these numbers recently while staffing a recruitment table for CASA OC at the Orange County Fair.
Norma Mendoza, CASA OC’s Volunteer Recruitment Manager, appreciates the many ways Marc assists with recruitment efforts. “He does a lot of tabling events and has been helping out at orientations by doing Q&A with prospective advocates. He’s attended every Men of CASA meeting and always encourages other male advocates to join. He’s really passionate about showing up.” Marc says, “I also belong to CASA’s volunteer outreach group, where we, ‘volunteer to volunteer.’ It’s a good way for me to use my time.”
Marc’s practical advice for anyone who’s considering volunteering with CASA, “You will get something out of this and you will enjoy it. But if you come in expecting a specific thing, that’s the last thing you’ll get, you’re gonna get something else. I like to say, ‘Expect the worst, hope for the best, and you’ll end up somewhere in the middle.’” He adds, “All you need to do is show up and be there. It’s not about you, it’s about the child. They have multiple placements and social workers, but only one CASA. I’m just a volunteer but when I decide to do something, I really do it.”
Norma adds, “I really like the way Marc has no expectations and is just comfortable meeting the youth where they’re at. He always talks at Men of CASA about how you have to just take it ‘one outing at a time’ and encourages people to not go into it with an expectation of what progress you might make because there’s just so much instability in these kids' lives. He’s always really direct and pragmatic about that.”
If you’d like to learn more about how to support youth in the foster care system or, if you are a current CASA and wish to learn more about joining Men of CASA, please contact Norma Mendoza to learn more.