Cecil County | Volunteer Spotlight: Steven Pearson

A family man with three adult children and long-term Perryville resident, Steven Pearson has always looked for ways to “give back” to his community and help make a difference.Serving as Town Commissioner, Mayor, a member of the Board of Directors for both the Perryville Little League and Perryville Junior Football League, and his latest adventure of becoming a CASA Volunteer are just a few of the things Steven Pearson has worked to accomplish within his small town tucked away on the North side of the Susquehanna River in Cecil County.Reading about CASA of Cecil County in his local newspaper is what initially piqued Steven’s interest. Around the same time, Steven’s sister-in-law was fostering an infant, which she eventually was able to adopt. After hearing his sister-in-law speak extensively about how her CASA volunteer was an integral part of the foster/adoption process, he knew becoming a CASA volunteer would be a worthwhile experience!Steven was sworn in to serve as a CASA one year ago and is currently working with a CASA youth that has been placed in multiple foster homes. Having siblings who have been adopted unfortunately led Steven’s CASA youth to feelings of instability and insecurity. Steven’s CASA youth also had disciplinary issues in school leading to poor performance, enough to almost fail the school year.Through Steven’s advocacy, however, his CASA youth is now placed in a stable foster home! They are hoping that the upcoming school year will be a fresh start for his CASA youth; Steven gets together with him every two weeks to get dinner and talk about things.So, what makes being a CASA volunteer worthwhile for Steven?“My child expects me to be involved in his life, whether it is going to meetings at his school, being present in Court for him, having regular visits with him, and just being there. Like most of us, he just likes having someone he can count on.”If you’re considering becoming a CASA volunteer, Steven’s advice would be to approach everything with your eyes wide open. He wants to let you know to expect disappointment, frustration, a slow-moving bureaucracy and sometimes heartache. With that being said, he also wants you to be prepared to have moments of joy and extreme satisfaction when you realize you are making a difference for these children!Thank you, Steven, for your dedication to helping Cecil County’s abused and neglected children!