CASA
Get to Know Lisa Cioffi, Essex County CASA Director
Lisa Cioffi recently started a new role as the Essex County CASA Director at Family Services of the Merrimack Valley. A part of the CASA/GAL national organization, Essex County CASA helps support and promote court-appointed volunteer advocacy so every child who has experienced abuse or neglect can be safe, have a permanent home, and the opportunity to thrive. Learn more about Lisa, her career path, and what she hopes to accomplish in this new role.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Cambridge, MA. I went to college and law school in Boston and I have lived in southern New Hampshire for the last 15 years or so.
Can you talk to us a bit about your career path?
After graduating college, I worked for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in their legislative policy program, which sparked my interest in child welfare law. I decided to go to law school with the intention of practicing in the child welfare field. After law school, I practiced as a trial lawyer for DCF for several years. I also served as assistant general counsel to DCF where, among other areas, I represented the agency in appellate litigation before the Massachusetts’ Appeals Court and the Supreme Judicial Court. I took some time off to raise my daughter and when I returned to work I opened my own law practice where I represented parents and children in the Juvenile Courts and in Probate Court. I also worked for several years as a court investigator and GAL in the Essex County Juvenile Courts. Prior to joining the Essex County CASA program, I worked as a program manager for three years at CASA of New Hampshire.
Why Essex County CASA?
This program, under the leadership of Family Services, has been instrumental in advocating for the best interests of the most vulnerable children in our community for over 30 years.
What are some of your goals in this new role?
My goal is to work in conjunction with our advocates, staff, and stakeholders to build the capacity of the program so that we can serve more children who need CASA advocates.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I’m a homebody and like to hang out with my husband and daughter. We like to garden in the summer and cook together.
30 Years of CASA Highlights: Angela Holloran
2022 marks the 30th year of Family Services’ Essex County CASA providing advocacy for abused and neglected children in Essex County. As we celebrate 30 years, join us weekly as we highlight the staff and volunteers who on a daily basis help us advocate for these vulnerable children.
What is your role at CASA?
I am a CASA Advocate Supervisor.
How long have you been with the program?
I have been with CASA since August 2017.
What led you to become involved with CASA?
I originally got interested in CASA when I was looking for a career change. I wanted a job that would allow me to utilize my 35 years in human services. My experience included working with DCF and the probation department.
What do you find most rewarding about working for CASA?
I enjoy working with our advocates who are so dedicated and committed to helping children and families.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I like spending time with family and friends.
30 Years of CASA Highlights: Klara Vajda
2022 marks the 30th year of Family Services’ Essex County CASA providing advocacy for abused and neglected children in Essex County. As we celebrate 30 years, we are highlighting staff and volunteers who on a daily basis help us advocate for these vulnerable children. This week we spoke with volunteer Klara Vajda.
What is your role at CASA?
I am a court appointed special advocate volunteer.
How long have you been with the program?
I began working with CASA in 2017, after I retired from my full-time job. I have been on board ever since.
What led you to become involved with CASA?
Two significant memories from my life in Hungary motivated me to become a CASA volunteer.
The first one is memories of my father; He was an orphan. His mother died of complications of the Spanish flu, and his father died as a prisoner of war after World War I ended. He constantly spoke about the neglect that he and his sister endured in foster homes. Thinking of how that experience, even at an older age, negatively affected my father encouraged me to get involved.
The second memory is of when I was a manager at a computer bureau and had an employee in her early 20s going through divorce. She always looked incredibly sad, but I could never figure out why. One day she shared with me that when she was younger she was sexually abused by her father, who was then sentenced to 10 years in prison. At that point in time, he was being released and she no longer felt safe.
Her story impacted me deeply. I made a promise to myself that I would always protect children, in any way I could, for the rest of my life. I signed up for a CASA training almost 27 years ago, but in the middle of training funding was no longer available so it was stopped. After that life took me on a different path, but I continued to advocate and help protect children with other organizations. The day I retired at the age of 74, I knew it was time to uphold my promise.
What do you find most rewarding about working/volunteer for CASA?
The most rewarding thing is seeing the outcome of the work we do. Working with children who have gone through rough and painful times at such a young age and seeing them start to heal and flourish is an amazing sight. They stop being angry and start to look forward to all the good things happening in their life.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I cherish my time with friends and family and cook for them. In Hungary I grew up working hard from a young age. I always prayed to one day find work that I enjoyed so much that it would not feel like work. I am passionate about social justice and I’m involved in different ways to do just that. There is nothing more rewarding than helping those who are in need spiritually emotionally, physically, and financially.
30 Years of CASA Highlights: Jamie Dunphy
2022 marks the 30th year of Family Services’ Essex County CASA providing advocacy for abused and neglected children in Essex County. As we celebrate 30 years, join us weekly as we highlight the staff and volunteers who on a daily basis help us advocate for these vulnerable children.
What is your role at CASA?
I am a supervisor.
How long have you been with the program?
I’ve been an advocate with CASA for about two and a half years, and a supervisor since November.
What led you to become involved with CASA?
My wife and I adopted our daughter through the Department of Children & Families (DCF). That experience got me interested in social work. When I began looking for a new volunteer opportunity, the social worker who runs the adoption support group we attend recommended CASA.
What do you find most rewarding about working for CASA?
It’s really gratifying to advocate strongly for a particular service or change, to have it implemented, and then to see the positive effect it has in a child’s life. We’re fortunate that we often get to stay on a case from beginning to end, which gives us the opportunity to serve as a constant presence in the lives of our kids. It also allows us to see some of the long–term influence of our work.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I write, record, and perform music. When I have the time and energy, I like going for long runs to clear my head. And I love spending time with my family; we try to do a weekly movie night and family walk.
30 Years of CASA Highlights: Libby Poland
2022 marks the 30th year of Family Services’ Essex County CASA providing advocacy for abused and neglected children in Essex County. As we celebrate 30 years, we are highlighting staff and volunteers who on a daily basis help us advocate for these vulnerable children. This week we spoke with volunteer Libby Poland.
What is your role at CASA?
I am a CASA volunteer.
How long have you been with the program?
I have been a CASA volunteer with Family Services for about 7 years.
What led you to become involved with CASA?
I was inspired to volunteer with CASA after hearing a CASA speak at North Parish Unitarian Church about her deeply meaningful experiences as an advocate in the Merrimack Valley.
What do you find most rewarding about working/volunteer for CASA?
I enjoy supporting local families who are having trouble navigating parenthood. The children are most vulnerable in these struggling families, and I feel it important to advocate for their safety and health while also supporting the parents. Parenthood is challenging enough without obstacles. I feel that all families need support for a healthy community.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I am a French teacher at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. Outside of school, I sing with the New England Classical Singers, hike the open spaces around Andover, enjoy making pottery, and spend time with my husband and three grown children. I also love to garden and travel when I can!
