Esther Curtice and volunteers with Court Appointed Special Advocates San Benito are working to ensure that the more than 100 children in San Benito County’s foster care system receive gifts for the holidays.
“We don’t just provide gifts for the kids assigned to an advocate,” said Esther Curtice, the program manager for CASA San Benito, “But for all the kids in foster care in San Benito County. We are trying to do that and also we try to provide birthday gifts throughout the year.”
The nonprofit agency is one of six local safety net partners collaborating with the Community Foundation for San Benito County and the United Way on the 12 Days of Giving. Launched at the Lights On Celebration last Saturday, the agencies will gather outside local stores Saturday to collect monetary donations, canned goods, toys and clothing that will benefit CASA, the Community Food Bank, Emmaus House, the Homeless Coalition, Salvation Army and Chamberlain’s Children Center. Volunteers will be collecting items and donations from noon to 4 p.m. at Baler Market, Nob Hill, Target, Hollister Super, Safeway, Kmart, SaveMart and Windmill Market (in San Juan.) Donations can also be made on weekdays at the Community Foundation for San Benito County office, at 829 San Benito St.
“I am just excited that we are part of the 12 Days of Giving and that collectively the six organizations will be able to share and hopefully make a bigger impact for our community,” Curtice said.
She said she volunteered during the Lights On Celebration at Jaime’s Toy and Canned Food Drive Car Show during the afternoon, then the agency participated in the parade with a float.
“Hopefully it provides more exposure for our organizations,” Curtice said.
Court Appointed Special Advocates staff members train volunteers to work closely with foster children. Curtice said there are 29 active advocates in San Benito County, with a waiting list of 33 children who need an advocate.
“It’s a lot of kids, especially for as small a community as we are,” Curtice said.
She recently emailed some former advocates who are not active to see if some of them might be willing to take on a child on the waiting list. The agency also holds regular information sessions for interested volunteers and conducts a thorough training that teaches advocates about their role with helping children through the court system.
Curtice said due to a limited number of foster parents in San Benito County, some of the children in the county’s foster care system are placed in neighboring counties but they would still have an advocate from San Benito.
To become an advocate, volunteers have to be 21 years of age, pass a background check and be willing to make a commitment of 18 months. It takes most children about a year and a half to move through the system into a permanent placement, Curtice said.
“Someone who is willing to make a difference and is very interested in working with children – it could be young or older teenagers,” Curtice said, of who might make a good advocate. “We like to focus a little more on older teenagers because the window of opportunity is so much smaller.”
She also suggested people who have an open mind would make good advocates because the children come from a variety of backgrounds. Curtice said when matching a child with an advocate they look for something in common between the pair, such as an outdoorsy advocate and a child who likes to be outside.
“We try to open up their world a little bit more and provide them with stability,” Curtice said.
Those interested in donating to CASA can “adopt” a child to receive an individual child’s wish list; provide an unwrapped toy, books, games or gift cards (suggested gift cards include Target, Kmart, Walmart, Mcdonald’s and Subway) or make monetary donations through www.12daysofgiving.info through Dec. 8. Monetary donations through the 12Days of Giving will be matched up to $20,000 and split between the six partner agencies.
For information on the next volunteer information session or on donating to CASA, call 637-4992 or visit www.casasanbenito.org.
