Saratogan is CASA volunteer
Saratoga resident Wee-lee Lim was among 22 volunteers sworn in March 7 as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) through Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, a Milpitas-based nonprofit. The swearing-in ceremony, presided over by Judge Shawna Schwarz, capped a training process where the volunteers learned how to serve as the go-between for children in the foster care system and court officials.
More than 60% of foster youth currently waiting for a CASA volunteer live outside of Santa Clara County, although their case is with the Santa Clara County Dependency Court.
Volunteer training consisted of 30 hours of self-paced courses and presentations, both online and in person, that covered topics like child development, the dependency court system and inclusionary practices.
Child Advocates is looking for CASA volunteers who are bilingual Spanish-speakers, or who identify as male or LGBTQ. To register for volunteer training, visit https://childadvocatessv.org/volunteer.
Distracted driving town hall
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In advance of Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian will host a telephone town hall on the subject on March 26.
In 2008, California implemented a law, authored by then Sen. Simitian, requiring cell phones be used hands free while behind the wheel. The year following the state’s first “hands free” law, traffic fatalities dropped 20%. In 2023 distracted driving is still a concern, with 13% of all car crashes due to drivers being distracted by their cell phone use.
The town hall is set for 11 a.m. to noon, when Simitian will be joined by Santa Clara County Sheriff Robert Jonsen and Dr. Sarah Rudman, deputy public health officer for Santa Clara County.
Register at https://district5.sccgov.org/signupTTH.