Page 24 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2025

PEOPLE
Touch-a-Truck.
Alan “Chef” Ehrich, Cynthia Chauvin and Trudy Ehrich.
story by Lynn Lofton photos courtesy of CASA of South Mississippi and John Fitzhugh
As the old saying goes: two heads are better than one. Alan
and Trudy Ehrich are proving it true as co-advocates for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of South Mississippi. They advocate for and support children who, through no fault of their own, are involved in the youth court system as a result of abuse and neglect.
The Bay St. Louis couple's interest was sparked when CASA Director Cynthia Chauvin spoke about the organization at a meeting of the Mystic Krewe of the Seahorse. “After hearing Cynthia speak, we knew we wanted to be involved and signed up that evening to start the process to become advocates,” Trudy Ehrich recalls.
They've been advocates since September 2022. Being co- advocates has benefits as they can tag-team their efforts. “One of us can reach out to the school while the other does home visits,” says Alan Ehrich, “and we can share our experiences together and work through issues. Being able to process all the different aspects of the court process, family dynamics, and working with all of
the community agencies is more manageable when you have a partner to share the load, both physically and emotionally.”
That approach makes a difference. “Sometimes we have different perspectives and it can help the other advocate see things in a different light,” Trudy says. “One case we had was a young boy who bonded more closely with Alan, so I was more of a sounding
board and helped with getting school reports and things of that nature.”
The Ehriches share visits, court, and getting what they need from schools based on their availability since both work part
time. “The biggest challenge is getting too close to the kids and wanting to give them everything they need, while remaining objective for what is in their best interest,” Alan said. “Having the children open up to create a bond and trust is a big responsibility sometimes, especially with teens. Creating trust with the parents can also be a challenge.”
The rewards come when a case closes and the child is thriving in a safe and loving environment. “Knowing we have made a difference in a child’s life and helping them achieve what they need to be successful or be back with their parents is the biggest reward,” they say. “We are able to share with the other groups that we belong to and share about the difference one adult can make and hopefully recruit more advocates or encourage groups to monetarily support the program.”
These advocates hope others realize they too can make a difference in the lives of children who have been left without support and without CASA would have no one to advocate for them. “We are everyday people who didn't go to school for this, but saw the need and signed up to help. Make the step to get involved, you will not regret it,” they advise.
This project was supported by MS State Victim Services Grant Funds awarded by the MS State Department of Health, Office Against Interpersonal Violence, state administering agency. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the state.
24 | May 2025
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