Ashley Gomez has been named as the Executive Director of CASA of Freestone & Limestone Counties, a nonprofit that recruits, trains and supports community volunteers, known as Court Appointed Special Advocates® (CASA), to advocate for children in the foster care system and their families. She was recognized in this role at an official ribbon cutting ceremony held on the Navarro College campus in Mexia on February 14.
“I am honored and excited to bring my skills and vision to the Executive Director position at CASA of Freestone & Limestone Counties,” Gomez said. “I know the difference a CASA volunteer can make in the life of a child in foster care, and I look forward to bringing my ideas and experience to the table here in the Bi-Stone area.”
CASA of Freestone & Limestone Counties program was founded by a group of dedicated community advocates in 2022. Voices for Children Brazos CASA had been serving Freestone & Limestone Counties since 2019, and in early 2022 approached three of the volunteers who lived in those counties and asked if they would be willing to create a new CASA for the communities/courts in Freestone & Limestone Counties.
CASA OF FREESTONE & LIMESTONE COUNTIES Board Members and Volunteers at the Ribbon Cutting sponsored by the Mexia Chamber of Commerce on February 14 at the Mexia Campus of Navarro College (photo courtesy The Mexia News)
“We are extremely grateful to Navarro College for providing a classroom on the Mexia campus and to the Freestone & Limestone County Commissioners Courts for budgeting funds to allow us to start this program in a strong position,” said Tony Adkins, President of the CASA Board. “We simply could not have hired an Executive Director and trained seven new volunteers to date” without the support and donations from these entities plus the numerous individuals who have contributed to this project,” he added.
Adkins also noted that the outpouring of generosity from the Bob Gage family and friends at the death of Bob’s wife, Cynthia, has made an impact on the program. “Cynthia was one of the founding members of our Board, and the many folks who chose to donate in remembrance of her love and service to children in both counties, has left a tremendous legacy,” he stated.
Ashley Gomez joins CASA of Freestone & Limestone Counties with a vast amount of experience in social services. She is a graduate of Groesbeck High School and University of Mary-Hardin Baylor in Belton where she majored in sociology and history. She worked for 12 years in Child Protective Services (CPS), serving as a conservatorship supervisor and an alternative response investigator.
“We’re excited to welcome Ashley Gomez to our program,” said Adkins. “In addition to a heart for children, she brings a wide variety of skills and experience, and we know she will help us continue to grow and serve children and families in the Bi-Stone communities.”
CASA volunteers, the heart of a CASA program, are specially trained and appointed by judges to advocate for a child or sibling group while they are in the foster care system. They advocate for the child in court, school and other settings; and get to know everyone involved in the child’s life, including their parents, foster parents, teachers, doctors, family members and others.
CASA volunteers advocate first and foremost for children to be reunified with their parents whenever safe and possible. When reunification is not an option, they may advocate for the child to live with another relative or family friend. They can also advocate for the child to be placed in an adoptive home. In all cases, CASA volunteers are steadfast, consistent presences for the children they serve, making sure they are safe and have the resources and connections they need to grow and thrive.
(Pictured at top): SEVEN NEW CASA VOLUNTEERS were sworn in on February 9, 2023 by the Honorable Judge Keith Downs at the Limestone County courthouse in Groesbeck, Texas.
