Doug Pritchard retired in September from his work as a Court Appointed Special Advocate with Lone Star CASA. He had volunteered for 17 years to help children in foster care through difficult periods of their lives.
Pritchard began with Lone Star CASA in 2009, serving children in Rockwall and Kaufman counties. In 2018, he also began volunteering with CASA for Hunt County. Across both organizations, he advocated for more than 20 cases, including some involving sibling groups. He said seeing children move beyond hard beginnings was the most rewarding part of the work. "Many children came from difficult backgrounds, and seeing positive results for them is what kept me advocating for so long," Pritchard said.
One of his first cases stayed especially close to him. He was assigned to a 13-year-old boy named David and remained his CASA volunteer until David turned 18. The two have stayed in touch since.
Jacob Griffin, executive director of Lone Star CASA, said Pritchard "has been a constant presence for children." Griffin said the organization is grateful for his service and hopes others will step forward to advocate for children in their communities. People interested in becoming CASA volunteers can learn more at lonestarcasa.org.