Janis Ost
Janis heard about CASA twenty years ago during her career as a teacher. She has always had a passion for helping kids. She became an Advocate to work with babies and very young children. Through the Advocate training, she found learning what youth in foster care go through and how it impacts their development to be eye-opening. She was inspired and eager to support her first CASA child. She had a lot of love in her heart to give, even though she was experiencing her own grief. Janis lost her family in a plane crash just a few years prior to joining CASA. She also had her own three-year old son to care for, but it didn’t stop her drive and ability to be of service to others. Janis continues to support CASA as a donor because she knows first-hand the difference Advocates make for children. In addition to being an Advocate, she served on the Board of Directors for six years. She says that working with CASA has changed her perspective on how much volunteers can do she has taken on multiple roles in the community including working with the Young Writer’s Program and becoming a Victim’s Advocate through the Santa Cruz Police Department. She is truly a role model for community service. She even brings a home cooked breakfast to CASA staff and volunteers when they have to work long hours on event days. She says she will always support CASA and will be back as an Advocate for another child very soon! Janis, we thank you for your incredible support in so many ways.
