Volunteer of the Month April 2026

I am honored to nominate Gabrielle “Gabi” Pettigrew as the Volunteer of the Month for April 2026. Gabi completed her volunteer training in January 2025 and accepted her first case the following month.

You may be wondering, “Who is Gabi?” Well, Gabi is an educator in the Zachary School District, a proud dog mom of two pups, a flute player, and most importantly, someone with a sincere heart for children.

Sutton entered foster care at 6 weeks of age due to neglect, lack of adequate supervision, and dependency concerns. When I presented the case to Gabi, she immediately expressed her eagerness to get started and diligently worked through every task outlined in her action plan. She was hopeful that reunification could be achieved. However, in April 2025, Gabi learned that Sutton’s mother had made the difficult decision to relinquish her parental rights. Gabi felt disheartened by this news, as she had been committed to seeing the family successfully reunite with the proper support in place.

However, Gabi quickly shifted her focus to ensuring Sutton’s path toward permanency was smooth and well-supported. Since that time, she has worked tirelessly to advocate for his needs and to ensure everything was in place for adoption by his foster mother, with whom he has lived since entering foster care.

Gabi’s willingness to go the extra mile cannot be overstated. Sutton is now one year old, and his case is nearing permanency through adoption. In addition to her continued advocacy for Sutton, Gabi accepted another assignment to four additional children, ages 9, 8, 7, and 6 months.

When I think of a dedicated and exceptional advocate, Gabi immediately comes to mind. I have complete confidence in her ability to manage any advocacy task with professionalism, compassion, and determination.

Gabi’s dedication to her role as a CASA is truly inspiring; it exemplifies what it means to be a voice for a child. I am incredibly proud and grateful to work alongside her. Gabi, you are a real team player, and I appreciate having you on this journey.

Proud Advocate Supervisor,

Rachelle M. Smith

*All case names changed for confidentiality reasons*