A muralist working with her own father is wrapping the CASA building near 24th and St. Mary's Avenue in Omaha with paintings built from children's doodles, depicting everything from sadness to joy to fear. Graphic artist and muralist Allie Rapp donated the piece, calling it the biggest mural she's ever completed.
Rapp designed the mural to include children's doodles representing a wide range of emotions those kids carry, according to WOWT. “It shows every single emotion these kids feel, whether it's sadness, joy, scared,” Rapp said, per the same report. She worked on the project using her paintbrush alongside her father, and weather permitting, she hopes to have it finished by the end of the week.
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate, and the organization exists to amplify the voice of children impacted by the child welfare system because of abuse or neglect, according to the station's report. “CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate, so we amplify the voice of children impacted by the child welfare system due to abuse or neglect,” Kimberly C. Sherrod-Barnes said, per the same account. CASA cares for 160 to 200 children every year, the report notes, and Sherrod-Barnes said she wanted to change the look of the building where that work happens.
What CASA Advocates Actually Do
Sherrod-Barnes said the children CASA serves hope for a safe return home or placement with a family that treats them as its own, the article notes. That mission lines up with how CASA of Douglas County has long described its role: the organization helps children navigate Nebraska's foster care system and works to make sure their needs are met and their voices are heard, according to KETV. “They make sure they get their needs met, their voices heard, and they advocate for them to ensure that they are safe,” a CASA representative told the station.
CASA has been part of the Douglas County community since 1998, KETV reports, and the group says it maintains an extensive waitlist, prioritizing children who need an advocate immediately. Volunteers commit to two years with the program, and CASA provides training and tools to help them do the work, according to the station.
A Long-Running Local Need
CASA for Douglas County was established on July 1, 1998, as a two-year startup project funded by a $100,000 federal grant, according to Whirlocal. The organization has reported roughly 115 children on its wait list for a volunteer advocate, with a staff of 17 and nine CASA board members leading the group, per that account.
Statewide, Nebraska CASA volunteers served 1,802 children during fiscal year 2025–2026, according to a report submitted to the Nebraska Legislature, though that figure carries low confidence in the underlying document. The mural effort in Omaha isn't the first time a CASA chapter has turned to art to put a face on its mission — CASA of the Heartland in Kentucky was set to unveil a mural built from the handprints of local children it served, according to The News-Enterprise.
Back in Omaha, the goal is simpler than any statistic: giving kids going through difficult times something hopeful to look at when they walk through the doors near 24th and St. Mary's Avenue. For Rapp, it's personal work, painted alongside family, meant to reflect feelings that are rarely easy to put into words.
