Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Fatima Tarawally
The Honorable Judge Edgar, swearing in Alcovy CASA Volunteer Fatima Tarawally
“I see our society forgetting about some of our kids, and they’re falling through the cracks. When a child is dealing with trauma and turmoil, they aren’t able to be a child and fully enjoy that time in their life. I want to be the person who speaks up for the child and helps take that burden from them so they can be a kid.”
Fatima Tarawally completed her CASA Pre-Service training in 2025 and was sworn in as an official CASA Volunteer in December of that year. She brings her experiences as a mother and her involvement in her children’s school to her volunteer work. “My kids have taught me a lot about patience,” shares Fatima. “They’ve made me more empathetic; they make me see so many things from a different perspective.”
“When you become an adult, you get separated from what it’s like to be a child. Today's children are growing up in a very different world than I did. Their experiences don’t mirror my own. I’ve learned that kids can teach you a lot of things if you’re open to it.”
Since being assigned her very first case, Fatima is overflowing with excitement, and it shows in how she talks about the child she’s been assigned to advocate for. “When Kathy (my Advocate Coordinator) called me with an available case and said ‘I think I have one that might be a good fit for you,’ I was so glad that she thought of me and matched me with a case that would be a good fit. I was ready to use my training and get started on a case.”
“I’m really excited to be a part of this child’s life. I’m not excited about what the child is going through, but I am glad to advocate and be a resource for them. I look forward to working with them, being present for milestones in their life, and watching them grow beyond the trauma they’ve experienced and move on to better things.”
The time commitment for CASA Volunteering is “not cumbersome,” shares Fatima. “I have more bandwidth than other people on the case because I don’t have a case load or other clients. I can be a helping hand, someone to lean on, and part of the network of support a child has. It’s the same with anything in life: you find time for the things that matter. Anyone can find a few hours a month to volunteer with CASA. CASA volunteer work can fit into the flow of your life, if you plan it well and are willing to .”
“I love all the staff at Alcovy CASA,” says Fatima. “This work is heavy, and it’s hard; it makes me happy to be around people who bring me joy, because it makes this volunteer work so much easier. It’s nice to be around other women that have a shared vision about child advocacy and being of service. It’s really refreshing. It makes the whole volunteer experience more enjoyable when you feel like you’re supported by like-minded people.”
“I wish more people would consider being a CASA Volunteer,” says Fatima. “I know a lot of people have a lot to give, and they have the energy, bandwidth, and time to do it. It takes a certain kind of person to do this volunteer work: someone who cares about others more than themselves. My daughter told me that every day we are filling cups, our own and other people's, with whatever we put out into the world. We choose what we pour into them: joy, kindness, or sorrow.
CASA is filling my cup with purpose and positivity, and it empowers me to fill other people’s cups with the support and care they deserve.”
