By Gina Cetta
Program Director

When I think about Rich Rolek, one word immediately comes to mind: dedication.

For more than six years, Rich served as the CASA volunteer for a youth named Isaiah* (while simultaneously also working with several other young men in foster care). I remember when I first called Rich about then 14-year-old Isaiah, he did not hesitate for even a moment; Rich immediately signed on to take the case. Whenever a volunteer takes on a child’s case, they are making a serious commitment, since the average CASA case lasts 18 months. However, working with a teenager is an even bigger commitment. Rich had worked with teenagers in the past, and knew that there was a possibility thatdfhe would be on the case until Isaiah aged out of the foster care system at 21. That’s exactly what happened.

Like any teenager, Isaiah had his moments, and Rich certainly experienced the ups and downs of advocating for a teenager. Isaiah was an athletic young man, who was repeatedly on the Honor Roll. Usually, he was receptive and communicative, but sometimes, he was unresponsive to Rich. Rich never got discouraged, however, and continued to reach out to Isaiah regularly and advocate for him. They developed a relationship of respect for each other. When Isaiah turned 17 and like every teenager, desperately wanted to drive, Rich successfully advocated for Isaiah to receive his driving lessons. Rich also advocated for the funds that allowed Isaiah to participate in several school-sponsored trips to Europe, right along with his peers who weren’t in foster care. Rich assisted Isaiah with the college application process, and in filling out the financial aid forms. When Isaiah indicated interest in becoming a fireman, Rich contacted several fire chiefs in Passaic County to see if they would meet with Isaiah to give him advice and/or answer questions.,

Isaiah recently turned 21 years old, and aged out of the foster care system. He is currently working 2 full-time jobs (having received promotions at both), with plans to possibly join the military in the future. In one of the last court hearings for his case, Isaiah told the Judge that he was thankful to all the people who had helped and supported him along the way, specifically mentioning his CASA, Rich.

Because of Rich’s dedication, Isaiah did not fall through the cracks of the foster care system. He did not become another sad statistic about teenage boys in foster care. He is a healthy, thriving young man with a great future ahead of him.

* Names and identifying details have been changed due to confidentiality