Local Program Spotlight:
CASA of Los Angeles & Dr. Charity Chandler-Cole
It's not often that one finds a leader whose passion is deeply intertwined with personal experience but Dr. Charity Chandler-Cole, the CEO of CASA of Los Angeles, personifies what it looks like to lead with lived experience. Her recently published autobiography, "Stranger Danger," offers a moving story that sheds light on the complexities and injustices of the foster care system, told through her voice as a young person.
Inspired by her own journey and a deep desire for systemic change, Charity courageously shares her story with the world –to reclaim her truth and to expose the systemic injustices embedded within the very fabric of the foster care system. She often wonders how her experience would have been different had she had the benefit of a CASA volunteer advocating for her needs and dreams. During the writing process, she experienced moments of revelation, such as coming to an understanding of her mother's own struggles within the confines of a flawed system. Through acceptance and forgiveness, Charity has found solace and healing.
Charity's personal experiences not only influence her leadership of CASA of LA but also inspires her approach, leading with a sense of urgency and purpose. “This work is personal for me, I don’t have the luxury of dissociating when I get home from work… there are real lives that depend on us and how we show up.” she says, affirming her commitment to achieving tangible, lasting impact.
Looking ahead, her focus will remain on maximizing CASA of LA’s potential and affecting meaningful change within the local community and broader child welfare system. She continues to challenge the status quo, “Change comes when there are moments of uncomfortability. I am okay being the one to do things a little differently in order to make the changes needed to protect these children," says Charity.
Through her book and her work at CASA of LA, she urges us to confront the uncomfortable truths of our systems in place, and invites us to ask ourselves the question, “Are we leading for lasting change or leading for a moment?”
Charity looks forward to the future of CASA as a whole and the systemic change we have the power to make. As for what’s next for Charity? She leaves us with this, “I don’t leave anything until my work is done… And my work at CASA isn’t done.”
If you wish to learn more about Charity, her book, and her work in the community, please visit her website by clicking on the button below. To purchase her book please click on the button, "Purchase Stanger Danger."
To learn more about how you can support foster children as a CASA volunteer or donor, please visit https://www.californiacasa.org/.