Norma's Volunteer Story, Part 2

This is a series about Norma, a woman who becomes a CASA volunteer. It is fictional, but based on real events. Each Wednesday we will update the blog with the next segment. At CASA we always need volunteers, but right now we are extremely low on volunteers and there are hundreds of children in the South Plains who are waiting for a special person like Norma......like you. Please call 806-763-2272 if you would like to be that person.

Part 2 of Norma's Volunteer Story:

Kathy:

Every day at 5 a.m., Kathy got up, bathed and dressed herself and the baby and fed the family. As soon as the boys were off to school, she would head to Rose’s daycare which was located half a block from her first job at a retail store as a cashier.  She had to work a second job to afford daycare for Rose during the hours she worked her first job. Her second job was washing dishes at a restaurant. Many nights she had to leave her oldest, Ben, in charge -  he was such a good helper. Sometimes he even had dinner cooked when she got home. He worked hard to make good grades and made sure his brother, Robert, also did his homework. He usually turned on the TV to keep baby Rose entertained. Ben’s idol was Tom Brady, quarterback for the New England Patriots and he loved football and quoting statistics. Kathy told him that as soon as she got a better paying job, he could try out for the school football team.

Norma:

After three days of checking the mail like a child rattling presents under the Christmas tree in happy anticipation, the packet finally came. Norma sat down at the kitchen table again and began to go through the information Amanda had sent her. There were a couple of brochures, an annual report filled with statistics and a letter explaining what the first steps of the training process are. The recommendation given was to talk to family members and friends to get their take on whether or not this was the right fit. Norma decided to call her sister and talk to her about it. They had always been close and had shared most of their lives together. Norma picked up the phone on her way into the kitchen to heat some water for tea. She dialed her sister as she filled the kettle and set it on the blue flame of her old, tiny gas stove.

“Hello?” Vikki answered after the third ring.

“Hi Vikki, it’s me. I want to run something by you and see what your thoughts are,” Norma said.

“Okay, shoot,” Vikki replied.

They talked about the packet Amanda sent Norma in the mail and about the meeting set for the following week. They discussed the many aspects of volunteering and of working with children who have been mistreated.

“I know you, Norma,” Vikki said. “You have the biggest heart in Texas and I think this would be a great thing for you to do. Just ask a lot of questions.  You will make the right decision and you will have my full support no matter what. Just keep me posted so I know what to pray for.”

“Of course I will. Thanks for your support. I don’t think I have been this excited about something since the last time gas was under $2 a gallon.” They chuckled at her joke and then said their goodbyes. Norma promised to call her after the meeting next week, and as the days waxed and waned, her anticipation grew. What if she wasn’t strong enough emotionally to do this? What if she didn’t do something right and the child suffered because of her mistake? She had cleaned every room in her home and reorganized her closet twice in an effort to work through her thoughts.

Check back on 12/12/12 for Part 3 of Norma's Volunteer Story.