By Laura Nanda
Distant Placement Liaison
Passaic County CASA
I have always said I had the best job at Passaic County CASA, but that is especially true at Christmas.
As the Distant Placement Liaison, I travel around the state to visit children who live far from Northern New Jersey and advocate on their behalf. The children I work with currently range between five and nineteen, each with their unique personalities and set of circumstances. Some have severe medical needs with developmental and physical delays, and others are negotiating independent living. One is applying to colleges and hopes to major in Applied Math. But at Christmas, they all get CASA gifts made possible by our organization’s generous donors, and I got to be their Santa! This month I drove around the state visiting "my kids" and dropping off several gifts to each child. For some of these kids, they were the only gifts they received this Christmas.
I remember my childhood Christmases; a room filled with wrapped presents and maybe a bike in the corner, my exhausted parents trying to capture it all on camera as my sister and brothers ripped into the gifts. Later, after church, my aunt, uncles, and grandparents would stream in with more gifts as my still exhausted mother was preparing dinner.
I can't help but contrast that childhood memory with the reality of some of "my kids." “Jamal” is in a behavioral health facility in Camden. It would be his third Christmas at this facility which couldn't feel less like home if it tried. He hopes to move to a foster home soon, but for now he had to spend another Christmas waiting. “Andrew” is in yet another placement but will be moved again soon, and “Sarah” was just asked to leave a shelter in Newark.
But it's not all bad news. After spending years in the foster care system “Michael” and his sister “Dana” are looking forward to being adopted in early 2022. The resource parent that will adopt them is part of a large family with plenty of family members living close by. They will now have "cousins" to run around and play with and will spend future Christmases comparing toys, games, and other gifts.
My travels around the state in December are always memorable. Bringing a bag full of wrapped gifts and watching the kids open their CASA presents is a reward in itself. It is my Christmas bonus. The first year “Jamal” was in the facility in Camden, he gave me a gift. It was a mug that said, "Some pursue happiness, others create it.” I keep it on my desk.
Although the physical gifts of the holiday season are a highlight of the year for many reasons, it is so meaningful when our kids acknowledge the gift they have in a CASA volunteer. The consistency of a caring adult who is present year round, no matter how far they move or how many times their plans may change. So while December may be extra fun, I never lose sight of the importance my visits have the other eleven months of the year, too.