Volunteer of the Month August 2025

I am honored to nominate Ozzlen Gonzales as the Volunteer of the Month for August 2025. Ozzlen completed her new volunteer training in September 2024 and accepted her first case in October 2024. She was assigned to advocate for siblings Aria (now 14) and Zeek (now 12), who entered foster care due to physical abuse, neglect, and dependency.

From the beginning of the case, Ozzlen demonstrated dedication and professionalism. She worked diligently to establish connections with all parties involved, but most importantly, she built meaningful and trusting relationships with Aria and Zeek. Ozzlen recognized from the beginning that listening to the children’s voices would be essential for her to ensure they achieved permanence. Initially, Aria and Zeek were placed with different relatives in separate areas of Louisiana. However, in December 2024, Aria’s placement requested her removal. Fortunately, she was able to reunite with Zeek in the home of their maternal grandmother, maternal step-grandfather, and their two adult brothers. Ozzlen wholeheartedly supported this transition, recognizing the home as the most stable and nurturing environment for the children.

Throughout the case, Ozzlen has gone above and beyond. She advocated for individual counseling services for both Aria and Zeek to support their emotional well-being and successfully pushed for speech therapy for Zeek to address his stuttering.

While assessing the children’s best interest, both Aria and Zeek expressed to Ozzlen that they did not want to live with their mother. This was because their mother lived in another state, as well as their mother’s history of mental health. Additionally, the children cited discomfort with their father’s current marriage and his history of alcoholism. However, both children did state that if their father were to leave his current marriage and address his alcoholism, they were willing to be reunited with him.

As the case approached a year, the children explained to Ozzlen that they wanted to continue to build a bond with their mother by visiting and communicating over the phone. Ozzlen shared their thoughts with their maternal grandmother, and she is willing to be a permanent placement for the children in hopes that the court will approve guardianship so that the children can achieve permanency by December 2025, if not sooner.

Due to Ozzlen’s hard work and professionalism, Aria and Zeek are currently thriving in the home of their maternal grandmother. They are preparing for the next school year, where Aria will be in the 9^th grade and Zeek will be in the 7^th grade. Aria is hoping to try out for the volleyball team, and Zeek is hoping to try out for the basketball team during the upcoming school year.

Ozzlen is the definition of what it means to be an outstanding CASA volunteer. Although her case was a little rocky starting off, she did not allow this to take away from being a constant in Aria and Zeek’s lives. Ozzlen is dependable, compassionate, and unwavering in her commitment to her CASA work. I am so happy to have her as part of our team. Her work on this case has been exceptional, and I am proud to recognize her contributions.

Thank you, Ozzlen, for your tireless dedication. You make a difference.

Proud Advocate Supervisor,

Rachelle M. Smith

*Children's names changed for confidentiality reasons*