By Caitlan Butler
Staff Writer
The 13th Judicial District South Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) held their 16th annual Make a Smile Happen toy drive last week with positive results.
CASA’s mission is to advocate for abused and neglected children in foster care to ensure their best interest is kept in the forefront of the court and they find a safe and permanent home.
Area foster children wrote out Christmas wish lists, which were used as suggestions for the toy drive. Lacey Morgan, CASA’s volunteer coordinator, said all 19 of the children currently served by CASA had their lists fulfilled.
“It went well. Pretty much all of our lists were filled,” Morgan said.
Additionally, she said if any other children come to CASA before Christmas, they will receive gifts for the holiday as well. Extra gifts will be saved to give to children for their birthdays.
The MASH toy drive took place Friday and Saturday at Walmart. The drive is sponsored by Noalmark Broadcasting and KIX103 broadcast live from the event, where CASA also took monetary donations, which will go toward recruiting and training advocates to be a voice for foster children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.
Morgan said some of the presents they received included bicycles, Legos, basketball goals and even a digital camera.
“Just to be able to provide all these kids with a good Christmas – I mean, they’re in a tough time of life right now, being apart from their family, and we just want to be able to help them have a great Christmas,” Morgan said.
CASA also helps some children in Columbia County. In addition to the 19 Union County children who will benefit from the toy drive, six Columbia County children will as well. Morgan said numbers for the drive declined this year, though noted that CASA is serving fewer children than they have in past years.
“Some of [the children] have not had a good Christmas or maybe even a Christmas at all before, so we’re glad to be able to provide that for them. Hopefully help them have a little joy on Christmas,” Morgan said. “And also being able to help out the foster parents or relatives that take care of them, helping take care of that need, because they’re already putting a lot into those kids as well.”
Morgan said the MASH toy drive would be CASA’s final large fundraiser for the year.
CASA will be the beneficiary of the third annual El Dorado News-Times Community Christmas Card, which will publish in the Christmas Eve edition of the News-Times. Every contributor who donates at least $2 to help CASA between now and Dec. 20 will have their name printed in the card.
Morgan said CASA’s next big fundraiser would be the Blue Tie Affair, which she said would take place in late March to mark the start of Child Abuse Awareness Month in April.
For more information about CASA or the South Arkansas Children’s Coalition, call their office at 870-860-2272, visit the Facebook page for SACC or visit their website, 13southcasa.com.
Caitlan Butler can be reached at 870-862-6611 or [email protected].
Be a part of the Community Christmas Card
This year, the El Dorado News-Times’ annual Community Christmas Card will benefit the local CASA office. Contributors who donate at least $2 through Dec. 20 will have their names included on the Christmas card that runs in our Christmas Eve edition.
Checks for the Community Christmas Card should be made out to CASA/Community Christmas Card. Donations may be made in person at the News-Times office or sent via mail to Community Christmas Card, c/o El Dorado News-Times, P.O. Box 912, El Dorado, AR.