Liza Moran knows she can help.

A 37-year-old software engineer from Murrysville, Moran was among five new volunteers sworn in Monday to serve as court-appointed special advocates for troubled Westmoreland County children.

“I have been really blessed with support during difficult times in my life, and I thought this is a way I can help others who didn’t have what I had,” Moran said.

The county’s CASA program has been in place since 2006 and provides unpaid adult volunteers for abused and neglected children who are involved with the family court division. Volunteers serve as the children’s advocates and can make recommendations to judges about future outcomes of cases that are in the juvenile’s best interests.

The program was formed in 2006 by Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani while he presided over cases in the family court division. Over the past 16 years, hundreds of volunteers have served more than 20,000 hours to advocate for 925 children. In 2022, volunteers advocated for 158 children, according to CASA Executive Director Mitchell Samick.

CASA of Westmoreland Inc. operates from an office in the courthouse as a private nonprofit. It has 82 advocates.

“We always need more advocates. A nice goal is to be able to serve all children,” Samick said.

Volunteers are required to complete a 30-hour training course before they are assigned cases.

CASA has a waiting list of 28 children who are in need of help, Samick said.

Program volunteers are essential to the court process to ensure children and their interests are properly represented, Feliciani said.

“This is most important work, and it’s special,” Feliciani told the new volunteers. “You are going to find it difficult. It is not easy to stand up in a courtroom, but, if you don’t stand up, be courageous and tell a judge what you believe, the child is not being served.”

For volunteers, the work is more than rewarding.

Michele Milanak, 71, a retired nurse from Jeannette, among the newest CASA volunteers, said she wants to ensure children involved with the courts have a responsible adult in their corner.

“I really wanted to help. So many kids get a bad rap, and, if I can make a difference, I will do it,” Milanak said.

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