sHELLY ZAMORA

​Shelly has been a CASA Volunteer Advocate since March of 2012.  She has advocated for many children throughout our community.   Shelly is dually sworn in in all three counties that we represent – Barry, Eaton & Ingham.  Shelly became a CASA advocate because she needed “purpose in her life.”  Shelly explains, “I wasn't employed and felt I needed to do something meaningful with my time. I have always loved working with children and when CASA came through Voluteermatch.com, I thought why not give it a try. My son was a troubled teenager and someone in the community gave him a chance in life so, I thought I would pay it forward.” When asked about the impact being a CASA Volunteer Advocate has made on her life and the lives of the children she has served, Shelly enthusiastically shared, “OMG! The kids I have worked with amaze me with their resiliency and willingness to just be happy. I have always felt that the kids impact my life more than I do theirs until one of my former CASA Kids spoke at our Michigan CASA conference. He told the group of CASA Volunteers that I was a light in his life that kept him going week after week. His statement brought tears to my eyes and gave me more energy to continue my advocacy work.”  Shelly continues, “I feel like I have a purpose that I'm good at! I feel like I do make a difference in the lives of children in my community. I love the education we get through the training we receive and that helps me to do a better job of advocating for the children I serve. The children that I work with make my heart swell with happiness each time I see them.  They make me realize how fortunate I have been in life and not to take things for granted. They help me to be a better person.  Life isn't about what we get, it's about what we can give! Giving a little kindness, hope, and love to the most vulnerable humans on the earth can have a huge impact on their future and hopefully change the world a little bit at a time.”

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