Johna Stoneking, CASA Volunteer
Stoneking Thorough...
Johna is from all over, having moved throughout her childhood due to her father’s military career however she considers Coastal North Carolina home, specifically Swansboro, NC. In light of Hurricane Florence, Johna’s heart has been with those impacted by the storm, especially her sisters, brother, father and mother who still reside in North Carolina.
Before completing high school, Johna became married and moved to Norfolk, VA with her new husband. Upon settling down, Johna pursued and received her GED. She spent the better part of the next two decades in the role of wife and mother to her two kids. Due to her husband’s military career, the family lived in Tennessee and Sicily, Italy before settling back in Norfolk. When Johna's daughter was in eight grade the family relocated to Virginia Beach. After entering the workforce, Johna quickly became disillusioned with the opportunities afforded to her with a GED so she decided to get her college degree. While Johna's children were in high school, Johna enrolled at TCC and earned her Associated Degree she then transferred to ODU as a junior where she received a double major in Criminal Justice and Sociology, from Old Dominion. During her final semester at ODU, Johna embarked on a 300 hour internship with VBJDRC where she worked in the court service unit with FANS (Family Advocacy Network Services) and assisted victims of domestic violence as they sought out restraining orders against their abusers. Three years later, Johna’s internship had quickly turned into a fulfilling and necessary job where she was able to champion for and support victims of abuse.
Several years later, Johna found herself at a Job Fair when she first learned about Virginia Beach CASA. Knowing her personal desire to help those most helpless in our society, Johna was sold as she knew CASA would be a perfect fit! She has spent the better part of the past five years working on challenging case after challenging case. In total, she has served on three cases and helped eleven kids find safe, permanent homes. Johna has earned a strong reputation not only amongst the CASA Managers but also the Judges. While attending one of her kids court hearings, Judge Blow commented on her impressive court reports and gave her the nickname, “Stoneking Thorough."
Johna’s commitment to her cases and her kids is so strong that she has had to overcome her fear of bridges and tunnels. Her most recent case saw the family she was working with move from a few streets over to Newport News. Her weekly visits became a family affair when her husband began driving her over the MMBT so that she could continue to see her kids. Additionally, Johna had one of her families move to Augusta, GA. Rather than give up the case, she was able to keep in weekly contact and make two trips to GA to check on the family. Talk about going above and beyond!
If Johna could offer advice to current or future volunteers it would be to remain patient with all players involved from GALs to social workers and lawyers. And remember, the better the CASA you are, the less you will hear from all relevant parties. So if you don’t receive accolades or much communications from the relevant parties involved in the case, don’t take it personally, take it as a sign you are doing your job, and doing it well!
