Norma Cordry has been a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for nine years! She joined Columbia Gorge CASA in January of 2014. A Gorge resident for over 10 years, Norma joined after retiring from teaching: she wanted to stay involved with children.
Norma has advocated for 3 children over the years. She has been advocating for her current child for three years. She does an amazing job of thinking outside the box to ensure this young person receives the services and support they need. Norma has even been commended in court by a judge for her creative and thoughtful ideas.
When asked about her favorite part of advocacy, Norma jokes, “Writing court reports!”
“Just kidding,” she adds. “It’s visiting the kids, of course! I love finding individualized ways of connecting with them. Each one is unique and has their own sets of strengths and challenges. Finding out their interests helps me to get them to open up in other ways.”
Norma says she handles any stress or challenges by talking to other advocates and CASA staff, which helps a lot.
Norma adds, “Over the years, I've learned that everyone makes mistakes, and virtually no one wants to be a bad person. Compassion goes a long way for everyone. CASAs are very compassionate folks!”
