Volunteer Spotlight: Beth Terhorst, CASA of Caroline County

Hello! My name is Beth Terhorst and I am a self-employed CPA for a small tax practice I operate out of my home. I have been self-employed for over 23 years now and worked for a small firm in Annapolis for 6 years prior to that. When I am not working from home, I am a volunteer CASA at the program in Caroline County. I have lived in Denton Maryland for over 20 years before moving to Ridgely, MD. After living in Ridgely for 5 years I felt there was something missing. I had been looking for a volunteer program that helped children and I came across the CASA organization through a solicitation for donations. I looked online to see what it was about and thought it would be a good fit for me; I have been a CASA volunteer for about a year.The current case I am working on involves a 16-year-old with autism and other learning disabilities, whose mother struggles with addiction and father is absent. I like to try to visit my CASA child at least one or two times a month. Visiting him at the foster home does not give us much opportunity or privacy to talk, so I usually take him to dinner and sometimes I’ll take him to see a movie he’s interested in.I feel that having a CASA youth has benefited me. My child has helped me understand children with autism and has allowed me the opportunity to have a greater empathy for foster children. I have also developed a greater empathy for individuals who struggle with substance abuse as well!For more information on becoming a CASA volunteer and speaking up for the best interests of vulnerable children, visit www.marylandcasa.org/get-involved or call 410-828-6761.