Gaylia Rowland is CASA volunteer of the year

CASA Volunteer of the Year Gaylia Rowland’s life has revolved around helping children. She worked for Head Start for 23 years before retiring in 2018 and she began volunteering in 2019 with CASA, a program of the Butler County Community Resource Council.

Rowland, of Doniphan, was shocked to receive the honor.

“I felt really bad because I tried to come to the holiday party,” she said. “I had accepted the invitation and found out later my granddaughter was singing at the middle school choir Christmas program at the same time. It’s a really hard decision, but I really feel like my grandchild needs to take precedence. I did hate I missed. When they called the next morning. I said, I’m speechless, and that rarely ever happens.”

Rowland joined CASA after a recommendation from her former boss.

“I didn’t want to step completely away from helping kids,” she said. “I wanted to be involved. My former Head Start boss was a CASA volunteer. I asked her and she said, ‘It’s a great program.’”

Rowland contacted CASA Executive Director Judith Moss.

Rowland said CASA has “a really good training program.”

She admitted she was nervous initially about going to court for the children and writing reports, since she hadn’t had many dealings with the court system.

“I was nervous, but Judith has walked us through it when we go meet the judges. They are very supportive, Judge Pierce and Judge Swindell, the two that I’ve met,” Rowland said. “They tell us they depend on us to be their eyes and ears to give them an insight that might be different from the caseworkers, the foster parents and other people who are involved in making decisions for the children.

“They tell us they can’t always follow our recommendations, but they assure us they read our reports and they take it into consideration.”

Rowland has worked with the same family of three since she began volunteering.

“That felt a little bit intimidating,” she said. “It’s worked out really well. Moss and CASA have been very supportive.”

Rowland added, “If you’re retired, and you’re looking for something to do to help children, it’s definitely a good place to volunteer. It’s very worthwhile. You’re being the voice or the advocate for children who don’t have an actual voice.”

Rowland’s husband Rob also thinks it’s a really good program.

“He feels with my experience working with children and families from the Head Start program, it’s a natural segue for me to step in and advocate for these children who have nobody and have had a hard life. He’s very supportive,” she said.

Rob retired after 29 years as a die cast manager for Briggs & Stratton. The couple has three adult children who have families of their own and 10 grandchildren with another one on the way.

“All three of my kids think it is great,” she said. “They know I have a love for children and protecting them. I’m not shy about speaking up for someone. So they felt like that was a good quality to have to be an advocate.”

Rowland’s daughter Jennifer is also a Head Start teacher, following in her mother’s footsteps. Her oldest son, Larry, is a manager for the Purina plant in Bloomfield and her youngest son, Matt, is an assistant attorney general for the state.