Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Stefanie Martinez-Pyper

Stefanie Martinez-Pyper, CASA volunteer

A CASA volunteer since 2020, Stefanie Martinez-Pyper is a former fourth-grade teacher in Newark and currently works in the Wayne school district as a substitute teacher. Since becoming an advocate, Stefanie's had two cases. The first ended in adoption, and her current case involves a nine-year-old girl who has been placed in 10 different resource homes since entering foster care.

When asked to describe that young girl, Stefanie says, “She’s resilient! She’s been moved so many times. I work hard to ensure she is in a safe and caring home. To help provide some feeling of normalcy, I’ve ensured she has exposure to activities she enjoys, like art and gymnastics, opportunities that should be part of every childhood. Of course, I also work to ensure she receives needed therapies she is entitled to.”

It’s no surprise that Stefanie, whose career is based on teaching and supporting children, found her way to CASA. She shares, “I trained as a CASA volunteer so I could be a supportive and caring role model for foster children, and advocate for their needs while in care.”

Rewards and Challenges
Of course, the unique volunteer position that is a CASA volunteer comes with both rewards and challenges. When asked about a particular challenge she’s had, Stefanie shared this example: “I recently spoke in court via Zoom and my recommendations for my child were not in sync with the law guardian’s. I was advocating for my CASA child to attend a nearby elementary school as opposed to her original school more than an hour away from her new resource home. I was initially nervous speaking to the judge with a recommendation that was independent of others, but felt so strong in my position and supported it with fact-based reasons. Ultimately, the judge agreed, and my CASA child now attends a local school that makes sense for her new surroundings and situation.” Stephanie knew that she was prepared to advocate for the child's needs based on the support and coaching from her Advocacy Supervisor.

Doing the Work
When asked the secret to being a good CASA volunteer, Stefanie’s answer was quick: “Diligence. In note-taking, in inputting data into the case management system, in keeping a regular visitation schedule with my CASA child, in contacting all the people in her life, and doing it in a timely manner. What may seem to be basic is actually the foundation for ensuring I'm fulfilling my role and being an active advocate for a child depending on me, in need of consistency in her life." She admits that the tech piece of her work doesn’t come most easily, but her supervisor is supportive and helps her to continue learning and improving.

The last two years, Stefanie has organized a gift drive to benefit CASA children for the holidays, and she’s helped bring in more than 100 gifts each year – again, working toward normalcy whenever possible for the vulnerable children we serve.

Making an Impact
What does she tell others considering this volunteer role? “I tell most of my friends they should be an advocate! For anyone unsure if they’re equipped to handle it, I explain that I receive tremendous support from my CASA supervisors, and training prepared me for how to conduct visits with my CASA child and how to write unbiased reports that make the most impact in court.”

As for her CASA supervisor, Stefanie’s has great things to say. Advocacy Supervisor Susan DePasquale shared, “Stephanie is a great advocate who truly cares about her CASA child. She regularly goes above and beyond to ensure the child’s needs are met, and she is happy in her placement. We were actually just in court today, and that commitment continues to shine.”