This fall, Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) of Jefferson County introduced a new award honoring a man whose life was defined by service. Arnold “Pops” Roseman, who died in 2009, spent nearly two decades volunteering at Jefferson County Family Court. Sixteen years later, CASA created the award as an annual reminder of what steady, faithful advocacy can accomplish.
“It means so much that people still remember him,” says his grandson, Evan Roseman of Birmingham. “He was a fantastic man.”
For 50 years, Roseman worked in the family’s wholesale jewelry business — a career built on tangible goods: rings, watches, stones. After retiring, he began what became an entirely new vocation: helping children and families in crisis.
“When most people would have slowed down, he just found another full-time job — volunteering at Family Court,” Evan says. “He had an office there. Anyone would have considered that a full-time position, even though it was all volunteer.”
Roseman’s son Donnie remembers those years clearly. “My weekly calls home began and ended with Dad talking about his week — which was his daily volunteer job with CASA,” he says. “That passion even got me involved. I joined the board of what became Child Advocates of Fort Bend County in Texas, and today I still serve as a trustee on its foundation board.”
Growing up, Donnie recalls his father as fully engaged with his family, even when work kept him on the road three weeks of every month. “He was always home Wednesday nights — that was Army Reserve night — and he attended most of our athletic events and school programs,” Donnie says. “He offered guidance without directing a course of action. We would chart our own paths.”
Roseman was known as a man of presence and principle. “If Dad said something, it was more than a suggestion,” Donnie says with a smile. “He made sure we had boundaries, but he supported anything any of us wanted to attempt.”
That balance of discipline and encouragement carried into Family Court, where Roseman became a trusted, almost grandfatherly figure to the children he served. His son Ronnie remembers how fully he threw himself into the work: “They gave him an office with a bookshelf — no legal books, just big bowls of candy — and the kids were welcome to come in any time,” Ronnie says. “Five days a week, he put on a suit and went to the courthouse. He was outgoing, he got along with everyone, and he loved being around kids.”
“They tried to give him a computer at one point, but he wasn't having that,” Evan remembers. “And when they told him he had to start paying for parking at the courthouse, he told them, ‘Just take it out of my paycheck.’”
Roseman’s military service also shaped the way he approached advocacy. “He served in India as a troop train commander during World War II,” Donnie says. “Those trains were strafed by enemy fighters. He learned to type by sending letters home to families informing them about their loved ones. I think that gave him a certain level of empathy for anyone who suffers a loss.”
That empathy, combined with the analytical skills sharpened through decades in business and the Army, made him a remarkably effective CASA volunteer. “As a CASA, you can do everything right and still not get the outcome you want,” Donnie says. “Dad’s military and business background taught him to keep moving forward anyway.”
CASA of Jefferson County has numerous volunteers who demonstrate this same level of commitment and now recognizes one each year at its Friends of CASA luncheon at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. “I got the idea for The Roseman Award because I am awestruck by how often I hear about Mr. Roseman more than 10 years after his passing,” says CASA Executive Director Kelly Burke. “‘This is what a legacy looks like. Like all legends, I doubt Mr. Roseman set out to be legendary. He simply showed up every day for twenty years and shared his time. He was consistent and kind. These are values that define compassionate advocacy. We strive to serve our children with volunteers and staff that model these qualities.”
This year’s recipient, Godilean Powell, embodies those same values. A CASA volunteer for nearly two years, she takes on each case with energy and heart. “Unlike many other forms of volunteering, CASA work often allows you to see the direct impact of your involvement,” she says. “By advocating for children, I have witnessed the positive changes in their lives as they find permanent homes or receive the support they need.” Powell also leads Changing Spaces Alabama, the group behind new legislation requiring publicly funded buildings to include adult-size changing tables. Her advocacy, shaped by her experience as a mom of a child with special needs, mirrors the way Roseman once “breathed kids,” as colleagues put it.
Ronnie says the family is proud that his father’s work continues to inspire others. “My dad would be pleased that this award has been created, not because it’s in his name, but because it will encourage other people to step up and volunteer for this very important program.”
Donnie adds, “Mainly he would be hopeful that the recognition he received is inspiring others to help the children who are most at risk.”
Evan agrees. “When I hear people talking about my grandfather, it warms my heart,” he says. “I aspire to be even 1% of what he was.”
The Mission of CASA
CASA volunteers do what Mr. Roseman did so faithfully — step into the lives of children in crisis, get to know their stories, and stand beside them in court so judges can make decisions that lead to safe, stable homes.