by Lance Jones, CASA Program Manager
I am an advocate for Milwaukee’s children, with an office on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. I can’t help thinking about the everyday heroes that I know—people who help Milwaukee’s kids.
Who are these everyday heroes?
Some of them stand for youth by speaking up for them, just as Dr. King spoke up for the poor, the silent and disenfranchised of all ages. Our CASA volunteers are tireless advocates for youth and families. To me, this service is in the the spirit of Dr. King.
Twenty thousand children in Milwaukee County are raised by people who are not their parents. Grandparents, older siblings, people from the neighborhood, foster parents—people who step in and answer the call. Like King, these folks are peaceful heroes. They give of themselves to create a loving, secure home for a child or youth in need. Most of these people had other dreams for their retirement or their youth. But they stepped up, deferring their own dreams, to make a place for a child. In the words of Dr. King, “Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
As America celebrates King’s memory, let us also celebrate the service of the everyday heroes who answer the call.
