York County CASA Program

Our CASA Spotlight for October is Amy Matheny! ✨

Her passion has always been for children, but before anything else, she is a mom! She has biological children, adopted children, and foster children. She’s one busy mama as she loves to find new adventures to explore with them, spending time planning fun activities for them and when it’s football season… GO RAVENS!! 💜

Her life's work right now is co-owning a family operated HVAC and Plumbing company where she oversees daily operations and helps keep the team and customers connected. But before this endeavor happened, she was out there doing a plethora of other service-oriented vocations; managing a restaurant, caring for animals as an Emergency Veterinary Technician, and caring for people as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She even coached children’s football and cheerleading! Her heart is people. She currently serves on the board of a soup kitchen.

At CASA, we’re blessed that she found us and now added the role of a CASA volunteer in York County to her list of opportunities to make an impact on others. Being a foster mom and an adoptive mom showed her how much it matters for a child to have someone in their corner. She says if she could give a home to every child who needs one, she would!

She is still on her first CASA case and is working diligently because she knows through CASA she can advocate for children and make sure their voices are heard. She chose the program because of the people, their kindness and empathy from the supervisors, the mentors, and her fellow advocates. Someone is always ready to be a listening ear and to offer guidance. Her mentor even told her "no" a few times when she needed to hear it. (Shoutout to Linda!)

Her favorite part of being a CASA? “Seeing a child's face light up when they spot me. They'll run over to tell me about their day or how they did at their gymnastics meet. Knowing they are excited to share those moments with me- there is nothing better!”

She encourages new CASAs and the trainees not to be afraid to ask questions! From the director of the program, all the way to the CASA sitting next to you, there are people ready to help. You don't have to know every answer on your own!

We cherish having Amy as one of our volunteers and are very thankful of her time dedicated to being a CASA for York County.
Thank you, Amy!

It was so uplifting to be part of the 6th Annual SHINE walk! 💛

Our CASA staff had the opportunity to walk in honor of child abuse victims and survivors.
We are so thankful to have been able to walk the one-mile route to provide trauma informed care, to help victims heal, and to show survivors they are not alone!
Our team was also very inspired and motivated by the astounding speakers! ⭐

Thank you again!! ✨

🩷❤️🩵💙We are so proud of our own York County CASA Jami Zelger! She has taken a position on the board of Pennsylvania CASA. She not only helps her own CASA kiddos here in York County, but she is also out there helping to spread the word at the state level. You go, Jami! We love you! 🩷❤️🩵💙 (she's the one in white and pink). 😀

One of our favorite traditions at the tournament is sharing our mission. Each year, our board members join us on the course to share what PA CASA does for local programs and the children they serve across Pennsylvania.

Pictured: Kelly Light, Kendra Eckman (PA CASA CFO), Karen Rodski, Jami Zelger, Jennifer DeBalko (PA CASA President & CEO), and Anna Maria Kiehl.

💙❤️💙Dedicated, compassionate and tenacious describes this CASA, who has taken on 2 siblings. We thank her for her willingness to be the voice for these children who need someone in their corner. We look forward to supporting Janet as she continues on her mission to open the door of opportunity for these children to thrive in a safe and caring home!
Thank you, Janet! ❤️💙❤️

❤️Our CASA Spotlight for September is on CASA Dawn Copp! ❤️

Dawn comes to us after wanting to be a CASA for almost 30 years! Many years ago, during her career as a Community Health Worker at WellSpan Health, she had to meet with a family who had many needs and challenges. With a CYF worker by her side, she engaged with the family and found out that the mother had a CASA for her children. She went home and researched the program and saved the phone number.

She knew she would want to give back to her community through the work of the CASA program someday, just not right then. She credits God for the path He has taken her on. In His timing, Dawn made the call and became a CASA in the Fall of 2024.

She is one busy lady! She is a wife, a mom to her adult children, a Mimi to her grandchild, and a business owner of 3 local businesses!
(Cleaning From the Heart (Facility Management Company), CFTH Transportation Services (Private Transportation Services), and Senior Sidekicks+ (Healthcare/ Social Services Private Consulting Services))

When Dawn is not working, she loves to spend time with her adult children, being a “Mimi” to her only grandchild, Phoenyx, and doing volunteer work in the community, one being to the homeless. She’s a person always looking outside of herself, even with her favorite hobby of thrift store shopping and reselling. Due to her love for giving and helping, many of her “finds” are for those in need. She has found a caring community here in York, especially in the small, local shops who sometimes will even “donate” things she needs for her clients. She says it just drives her to want to shop even more!

Dawn’s favorite part of being a CASA is recognizing the impact she has on each child’s life. She finds fulfillment in building relationships and to watching them grow. And along the way, she believes gaining the trust of the child “is worth millions.” She stands by the mantra, “trust is lost in buckets…and gained in droplets.”

Her piece of advice to a new CASA or a new CASA-in-training? “In the world that we live today, where everyone is so busy, and not enough time in the day, we must remember that a child or children are praying for someone like you to listen, to help, to mentor, to speak for them. You are here at CASA for a special reason! Remember to lean on & partner with your mentor, as well as other CASAs as much as possible. Give yourself grace and time in gaining more experience with each new case you are assigned. Lastly, know your community inside and out, what resources they offer, and do not be afraid to be the voice of change for a child or family!”

Dawn, your care and compassion for others authentically shines through you as a person, but especially as we see you in the role of a CASA. Thank you! We appreciate you! ❤️❤️

❤️💙❤️ So inspiring to be part of the GLS Summit 2026!
Our CASA staff got the opportunity to be inspired and motivated by stellar speakers.
We are so grateful to spend time together as a team and then to have the time to sit under such profound teaching, striving to be the best leaders we can be not only for the county, for our families, for our community, but most importantly for our CASAs and the children they serve!
Our team was thankful!! ❤️💙❤️

❤️💙ANOTHER CHILD HAS BEEN GIVEN A VOICE! 💙❤️
Our wonderful, veteran CASA, Denise McCarthy, deserves applause! She has been appointed to be the eyes and ears for the Court on behalf of a young lady who needs someone in her corner as she tries to thrive into adulthood.
Thank you, Denise, for volunteering to speak on her behalf and for wanting to make a difference in her life! Your passion and tenacious spirit is inspiring and we are grateful for you!

❤️💙ANOTHER CHILD HAS BEEN GIVEN A VOICE! 💙❤️
Our CASA Susan Crawford has stepped up once again! She will be the eyes and ears for the court on behalf of a young boy needing a voice. Her tenacious advocacy and her compassion will make a difference in this child's life. We are grateful! Thank you, Susan!

❤️💙Our CASA Spotlight for August is on CASA Roberto Perez!❤️💙

Roberto was sworn in May of 2024. He was assigned soon after, partnering with another CASA on a case with four children. Here in 2026, he is on his third case. Thank you, Roberto!

Originally from New York City, Roberto spent part of his teenage years living in Mexico before eventually making York County his home. The experiences he has encountered across different cultures have shaped his passion for connecting with people from all walks of life. His desire drives him to advocate for those whose voices often go unheard.

When Roberto is not working as a real estate professional, you'll likely find him behind a camera lens shooting portraits for friends (by the way, shout out to his friend and fellow photographer, Rissa Miller for his bio pic!) He is pretty active when he isn’t doing his real estate gig or taking photos. He enjoys spending time in nature going on small hikes with his 7-year-old son, Mateo. He likes to shoot pool, play basketball and sometimes relive his soccer days. He loves to grab his skateboard and try to keep up with Mateo on his scooter as they ride their neighborhood together.

He has been a proud Vegan for about 12 years now. He says it goes hand in hand with his morals, his focus on compassion, community and creating meaningful change. He believes that even small acts of kindness and advocacy can have a lasting impact.
Roberto was inspired by a video which had been shared on social media showing the CASA’s role and how they can impact the life of a child. Learning about the amount of adversity each kid faces and how they endure the battles was a real eye opener. After seeing this video, he knew he wanted to be part of CASA. He knew in his heart that the future lies in the hands of kids, and he certainly knew that no kid should ever have to face such unbelievable tribulations.
A piece of advice Roberto offers a new CASA would be to shadow someone, and to try to get to know other CASAs. And as you go along in your case, write notes. By doing this you don’t forget the details and, of course, get them recorded into OPTIMA! 😊
Felicidades, Roberto! We appreciate you! 💙

This lovely lady, CASA Carol Knaub, has a heart that just loves the little ones. She is passionate about making a difference one child at a time and this time it's 2! We are so thankful for her years of dedicated advocacy. Carol, thank you for being ready and available! These 2 little ones will be forever grateful!