Desperate times call for CREATIVE measures . . . we’ve been hearing from YOU and here are some wonderful ways our CASA Volunteers are keeping in touch with their kids!

  1. ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM – many of us didn’t even know what Zoom was until a month ago, but we’ve heard from many of you and it sounds like zoom has been a great way to “see” your kids!
  2. Whether you are using Zoom, FaceTime, Webex or another video conferencing app to see your kids, many questions have come up as to what to do with your youth once you are on?  Volunteers have responded with some of the following:  a. ask a fun question such as “what is the first thing you want to do once this is over?” or “what is the best thing you’ve done so far since being stuck at home?” – b. others have played games with their youth such as asking trivia questions (you can find age-appropriate questions online) or playing I-SPY (but you have to make sure you can see something behind your youth in order for them to guess it) – c. a couple of Volunteers have even helped their youth with homework!
  3. Some volunteers have mentioned sending letters to their youth – yes, real snail-mail letters!  Who doesn’t love getting something in the mail? 
  4. Others have mentioned sending a little special something by mail – one Volunteer sent a puzzle to her youth (when you could still find them online); another ordered pizza for her youth and foster family.
  5. One volunteer, having a FaceTime meeting with her adolescent youth and finding her youth had nothing to talk about, played the game 2 Truths and 1 Lie – an oldie but goodie!  Get your kid to tell you 3 things about him/herself (2 things that are true, one that is not) that they have thought about ahead of time and you have to guess which is which – then it’s your turn!  *Try to keep it clean and not overly personal – you know how adolescents are!
  6. Another Volunteer has been developing a kind of “wish list” with her youth – when they talk they come up with different things they want to do or see around Baltimore when they are able – gives them both something to look forward to