Erin Zito is no stranger to the CASA/GAL Program of Summit County. After completing her internship with CASA, on her 21st Birthday, Erin was sworn in as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. She continued to take cases for 5 years before accepting a position which created a conflict of interest. In those 5 years, she advocated for 18 children in 10 different families! Although no longer able to serve as a CASA, Erin advocated for the program and continued to spread the word about the amazing work CASA/GAL volunteers do on a daily basis. Erin's involvement with CASA solidified her desire to earn her bachelor's degree in Social Work and become a Licensed Social Worker graduating from The University of Akron. She will continue her education in 2024 starting her master's of Social Work degree at Cleveland State University.
This year Erin was able to rejoin the CASA family and begin taking cases again. We are thrilled to have her back and thankful her positive experiences with the program led her to return and volunteer again.
What kept you motivated to continue volunteering? Even when times got tough or things didn't go as planned, I felt supported and appreciated by my Volunteer Coordinator (Tammy) and CASA staff. This made it easier to get back up and continue advocating!
What advice do you have for new CASA/GAL volunteers? The work we do is HARD- Taking care of yourself is important!
