The North Idaho Court Appointed Special Advocate program, known as CASA, will host the ninth annual Ray of Hope Breakfast April 30.

The fundraising breakfast will be held from 7-8 a.m. at The Coeur d'Alene Resort, 115 S. Second St.

There is no charge for the breakfast but attendees will have the opportunity to donate to CASA at the event. Proceeds will help support the volunteers who are vital to the organization.

Seating is limited so attendees are asked to register as soon as possible at www.northidahocasa.com or by contacting CASA at (208) 667-9165 for more information.

North Idaho CASA works to recruit, train and support citizen-volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in courtrooms and communities.

Coeur d'Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer will be a featured speaker at the breakfast.

The keynote speaker will be Kailamai Hansen, a young woman who benefited from the appointment of her own special advocate as an abused child.

"My CASA was instrumental for me during my time in the Idaho foster care system. Not only was she my voice and my advocate but she was the best chance I had for letting my voice be heard during court proceedings without the trauma of attending," Hansen said of the experience.

Hansen, author of "Out of the Darkness: My Journey through Foster Care," will share her story of growing up in the foster care system and how having a CASA to represent her interests made a difference in her life.

"CASA is imperative in the court process. As a foster child, my view of my CASA was that she was the only one in court who was there because she wanted to be," Hansen said. "My mom was there because she was mandated, my social worker was doing her job along with the attorneys present. My CASA was there just for me. As a child that was neglected and voiceless, this became part of my process in learning to speak up for myself and to know it was safe to do so."

Although CASA volunteer-advocates are appointed by the court, only one-third of funding for the program comes from the State of Idaho. The remaining two-thirds of what it costs to recruit, train, and support CASA volunteers must be raised through grants and donations.