Amherst’s Jeff Wilson was a successful software engineer splitting workweeks between Nashua and Phoenix when he decided in 2001 to devote his time to family and volunteering. His search for a worthwhile cause led him to, of all places, his t-shirt drawer.

“As someone who runs lots of road races, they’re always giving you t-shirts. I remember wearing one several times over the years that said ‘A Child’s Voice in Court’ on the back,” Wilson says. “It was from an organization called CASA. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I was always curious what that phrase meant.”

What began with a chance encounter at a local bookstore, where CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) volunteers were wrapping gifts, soon led to an interview and training with the Manchester-based nonprofit. As a dad who’d once aspired to coach and teach math, Wilson, 51, believed he’d found a good fit. More than 3,000 volunteer hours, 20,000 miles, and dozens of assisted children later – all free of charge – he’s never looked back. “It’s a rewarding thing,” he says. “Sometimes we’re the only ones out there speaking on behalf of these kids. It’s an opportunity to make a difference in their lives.”

CASA this year marks its 20th anniversary standing by NH children through some of their darkest hours. Part of a Congressionally-mandated national network, CASA’s NH chapter was launched to answer a desperate need within the courts: as child abuse and neglect cases mounted, and lawyers, parents and investigators wrangled over charges, there was seldom anyone to ensure the children caught in the middle found stable homes. With offices in Manchester, Dover, Keene, Plymouth and Berlin/Colebrook, CASA’s 400 volunteers – from young professionals to retirees – each year help nearly 1,000 children regain that stability. Mostly, it means working with judges, attorneys, and parents to reunify children with their original families, while some occasions (especially in cases of abuse or incarceration) warrant foster or group homes.

For Wilson, it means lots of phone calls, reports, and visits with school counselors, teachers and foster parents. For the volunteer track-and-field coach, it also means lots of shooting hoops or playing games with kids to gain information and trust in a more comfortable setting. “It can’t not change you,” he says. “At the end of the day, we’re not arguing points of law, but for their best interests.” (for more info: www.casanh.org).