Not only is Cool-jams Wicking Sleepwear a sponsor of Voices For Children, but I also volunteer as a Case Assessor (CAP) with this organization. Needless to say, Voices For Children is near and dear to my heart. As a CAP, I work with children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect by their parents. During the time these children are in the complicated and overwhelmed foster care system, I make sure they get what they need and deserve in order to heal from the trauma they have suffered. Through my work as a CAP, I am able to help children like David:
David has experienced far too much heartbreak in his short 11 years. David entered the foster care system in 2004 at age five due to physical abuse, domestic violence, and neglect by his mother.
David has never had anyone stable in his life—except for his CASA. Recently, David’s prospective adoptive father decided he could no longer care for him and packed David’s belongings into trash bags and deposited them on the sidewalk. David’s CASA went with him to his new placement and she comforted him when he told her only half of his heart was broken “because the other half was already gone.” While trying to make life as normal as possible, she arranged a birthday party for him and her gift was a photo album of the numerous outings and activities David and his CASA experienced together. Like many foster children, it is his only photo album.
David was recently placed in a foster home that prepares foster children for adoption. David’s CASA transported David and his belongings to the new foster home and ensured his new school had his records. There is no doubt his CASA will continue to be supportive of David during this significant transition. It will be a long journey for David to build trust with his new foster parents when so many adults have failed him before. But David desperately wants to be part of a family and wants to be loved unconditionally. His CASA believes in David and remains optimistic that this will occur. She also provides David with something that no one else has—hope.
Spring is a season of hope and renewal, and for me, it is special for another reason: April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and May is National Foster Care Month—months when children like David, are recognized as a national priority.
Unfortunately, hundreds of local children are waiting to be assigned to a CASA; these children too often face the harsh reality of the foster care system alone and afraid. I worry about these children and am writing to ask your help to bring hope into their lives. It costs only $165 for a child to have a CASA for a month—just over $5 a day —but any amount of support will make a difference.
You can donate by sending a check to Voices for Children or going to our website: www.speakupnow.org and clicking on “donate today.” Or, you can support my work and the work of other CASAs by:
• Learning more about what I do by clicking on this link and watching a video about the children I serve.
• Considering to become a volunteer, like me
• Honoring your mother, father, or graduate by purchasing one of our starfish collectibles.
• Joining our cause on Facebook so you can let your Facebook friends know about Voices for Children.
• Spreading the word about David and other children like him by passing this email along to the contacts in your email address book or posting our website to your Facebook page.
With your help, I know we can bring hope to many children this spring.
Yours truly,
Anita Mahaffey
Cool-jams Inc.
Photo by Pink Sherbet
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