For those of you who do not know me, I am Laura, the Distant Placement Liaison for Passaic County CASA. As the Distant Placement Liaison, I travel around the state to visit children in foster care who are originally from Passaic County but have been, for various reasons, placed in care outside of Passaic County. Sometimes the children I visit are one county over, sometimes they are as far as the Jersey Shore!
The children I advocate for are a diverse group. They are anywhere from 11 months to 20 years old. Some are placed with relatives, others are in group homes or facilities. They are from all backgrounds and races, from black, white, Hispanic, and mixed race. Some are now living in cities, others in rural areas of the state where bear warnings are the norm.
In December, I make sure that every child in distant placement receives Holiday gifts—I get to play Santa, thanks to the kindness and generosity of our Passaic County CASA Holiday Wish-list donors. The Holiday Wish-list donations are especially important, as while some children have been placed with family members and may receive gifts from their family, many of the children I visit do not. In many instances, the gifts the CASA program provides are the only gifts these children will receive at all, not just during the Holiday Season but for birthdays too. It means so much to them to open gifts that were selected just for them, whether it be Nike sneakers, or art supplies, or electronics—when they receive a gift that they really, really wanted, they know somebody cared. So to everyone who donated to our Holiday Wish-list program, Thank You for making the children I visit feel cared for, it means a lot to me and it means everything to them.
Now that we are in a New Year, many people will have made New Year’s resolutions, maybe to eat healthier, or to exercise more, or maybe to cut down on social media—whatever they might be, the goal is always improvement. I have my own personal list of resolutions that I hope will make me a better, healthier, smarter, happier person and I can’t wait! I also like to encourage my CASA children to consider any path of improvement, so this year I will be listening closer to them and encouraging them to exercise more wherever it is appropriate and accessible. Older kids might enjoy dance, gymnastics, a basketball or volleyball league, while younger kids might enjoy swimming lessons that provide a break from the cold weather and prepare them for the summer. After encouraging one family to consider swimming lessons for their seven-year-old grandson, I now receive regular videos of him swimming across the pool, and he loves it!
Not everyone will be open to suggestion, but sometimes a nudge is all it takes. How about you? What will you choose to improve this year? If you haven’t decided yet, I suggest coming to our Open House in February and meeting the CASA team, or registering for a Volunteer Information Session, and taking the first step on a path to not only improving yourself, but improving the lives of children in care, by becoming a CASA like me!
Passaic County CASA Open House
Passaic County CASA is extending an open invite to drop in, meet the team, and see where all the action happens. Join Passaic County CASA for a glass of wine and a slice of cake, and enjoy an informal conversation with Volunteer Advocates and the extended team!
Mark your calendars for Thursday February 9th, visit any time between 5:30—7:30pm, at 415 Hamburg Turnpike, Suite D2, Wayne, NJ07470.
Recruiting New Advocates
If you haven't made your New Year's Resolutions yet, Passaic County CASA can help! We are actively looking for more people to volunteer as an Advocate, so if you have the resolve, we have many children who desperately need someone to be their CASA and to speak for them—someone like you!
Our next Volunteer Information Session is on Saturday February 11th at 10am in the Passaic County CASA offices, 415 Hamburg Turnpike, Suite D2, Wayne, NJ07470.
If you are interested in attending an Information Session click on the first button for our calendar of upcoming sessions, or the second to register today!