By Laura Warne
Communications Coordinator
The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year at CASA, and fortunately, this year was no exception. CASA volunteers and donors brought care, joy, and warmth to children in foster care through thoughtful gifts and in-person (but cautious) visits.
Relive this joyous time below with stories from our staff and advocates.
Dear Friends,
We have reached the end of 2020 in positive form because of you, our supporters, and your never-ending dedication to children in foster care. This past year, when everything began to shut down, you stood up.
Schools began virtual instruction, but there you were, purchasing laptops so our children in foster care from less fortunate school districts wouldn’t miss out on assignments and lectures. You were there for their future.
With the development of the Neighborhood Assistance Program in the spring, Passaic County CASA donors and supporters reached families with children who are at higher risk of complications from COVID-19, and provided them with food boxes, diapers, wipes, formula, etc. You were there for their health.
And our 135 volunteer advocates? Between virtual Child Study Team meetings, telephonic and Zoom court hearings, socially distanced child visits, virtual advocate training, and outdoor fellowship events, you were there focusing on children’s best interests.
I am overwhelmed with gratitude as I think about your support. Passaic County CASA is lifted up by the most driven, tenacious individuals and groups that exist. With your ongoing perseverance plus the perseverance of our children? We are unstoppable.
Stay safe, stay healthy,
For weeks, gifts for our annual Holiday Wish Drive poured into the Passaic County CASA office. In just a few hours on a frigid Wednesday, they were handed off to our team of dedicated CASA volunteers. These CASAs will make sure the gifts make it to their intended recipients -- a child in foster care -- wherever that child may live.
Our CASAs will drive to West Milford, Paterson, and Passaic. To Clifton, Haledon, and into neighboring (and some not-so-neighboring) counties. Setting up appointments to visit, not to mention traveling there, takes time and effort, but they do this out of genuine care for “their” CASA child or children. Each one wants to do what they can to make sure they have a happy holiday.
These are the children our CASAs have spent months and often years getting to know. These are the children they advocate for, make phone calls for, visit every month, and speak for in court. In November, they found out what each child wanted or needed. Now, the week before Christmas, when to-do lists probably feel a mile long, they will find a way to get the gifts delivered.
We are sometimes asked if donors can give their gifts directly to children. We know there is nothing like seeing a child’s face light up because they’re receiving just what they asked for. Unfortunately, we have a responsibility to protect the identities of these children. The closest we can offer is this glimpse into the “hand-off” of gifts between our office and our CASA volunteers. As they each drive off with their trunk full of gifts, these CASAs have to be the next best thing to Santa. But we never forget it is the generosity of the community of donors who contribute to our annual Holiday Wish Drive who make it possible. So thank you to each and every one!
By Laura Warne
Communications Coordinator
and Courtney Como
Director of Donor and Community Relations
CASAs are used to doing whatever it takes to help their CASA kids, from helping secure tutors to researching summer camps, to making sure they see a doctor and have the supplies they need for school. Last month, however, some specially dedicated CASAs along with many other CASA friends and supporters laced up their sneakers and literally went the extra mile to help children in foster care.
These are just a few of the CASAs who participated in Passaic County CASA's inaugural Thanksgiving Virtual 5K Run, Walk, Stroll or Roll!
Tricia Schreiber was joined by family for an invigorating 5K stroll around her town on a beautiful Saturday morning.
Anjum Desai and Kamala Anupindi gathered their friends together to complete their 5k not once but twice, walking around Packanack Lake! Way to go! Check out a photo from that day on the left.
Jim Segarra and his wife also enjoyed Packanack Lake as the backdrop for their 5K walk!
A group of family and friends led by advocate Stefanie Martinez-Pyper really enjoyed their 5K together on a beautiful Saturday morning! Thank you to Stefanie and the Radler family!
A beautiful day at Sterling Lake provided the most perfect scenery for Dianne Kelly and her family to complete their 5K!
Not only is Andrea Nieves one of our longest-standing volunteers, she is also one of our strongest champions! Andrea, alongside board member Ann Rose, took her 5K to the paths of Garret Mountain, taking advantage of the beautiful view to snap the photo to the right.
From San Ramon, California to Coopersburg, PA; South Burlington, VT to Hoboken, NJ, more than 120 individuals signed up to participate in this fun event. They not only got some exercise but helped raise money in support of services for children in foster care.
For more photos from the event, click here.
1) What did you do before you worked at CASA?
I worked in adoption and family services.
2) Describe your job in five words.
Different each and every day!
3) Can you describe what a typical day looks like for you?
Phones, greeting outside the many volunteers and donors that come to the office to drop off their generous donations for whatever we need at the time, assisting the supervisors, organizing the many donations, and general office administration.
4) What is the best part about working for CASA?
Knowing that everything you do is for the kids!
5) What is the craziest/most unusual thing you’ve done in the name of serving children in foster care?
In the early days of the pandemic, a child in foster care asked us for a table. "Something small and not too big" that would fit the small space set aside for his remote learning workstation. Our Executive Director Erica talked to our friends at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store (which was closed during covid lockdown), and a table was found for him. On a sunny Saturday in April, I put the table in the back of my truck, and took it to the boy's house. The boy was waiting outside for me, and as soon as I opened the back of my truck he gave me the biggest smile!! He took his table off the truck and yelled “Thank you lady!” as he went off, carrying it up three flights of stairs to his apartment. Sometimes, it really is the little things!
6) When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A nurse.
7) What is your go-to comfort food?
Anything SWEET. I never met a dessert I didn't like.
8) What personality trait has gotten you in the most trouble?
I have a hard time saying NO!
9) What celebrity have people said you resemble or remind them of?
I've never been told I resembled a celebrity...lol. I will say that my celebrity "crush" is Bradley Cooper. Love me a little Bradley!
10) If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three items would you bring?
A good book, sunscreen, and a pair of shades!
