2020 End of Year Letter
December 4, 2020
Dear Friends of CASA,
What a year 2020 has been!! This year, for many, has been defined by frustration, isolation, and uncertainty. For others it’s been a year of rest, growth, and gratitude. For us here at CASA, it’s been a little bit of both! While we’ve continued to celebrate successes and remain unlimitedly grateful for the continued dedication of our advocates, community, and donors, we have also found ourselves empathizing with the frustration and uncertainty that our foster children experience every day while in foster care.
While we’ve spent 2020 frustrated by cancellations of events, gatherings, trainings, and more, our kids this year (and every year before) have been additionally frustrated by unstable placements, perpetual changes in respect to which school they’re attending, and uncertainty around questions like “will I ever see my baby sister again?” and “where will I live when I celebrate my birthday next month?”
In all this year has brought us, we find ourselves better able to identify with the struggles of our children and even more grateful for the opportunities we have to connect with them, love them, and provide reassurance through the difficult times. It hasn’t been the year we expected, but still a year to look back on with gratitude and celebration! Beyond the lessons learned in walking through a global pandemic, in 2020 CASA:
- Served 175 Children in Walker, San Jacinto & Trinity Counties through the advocacy work of 69 volunteers,
- Supported the reunification of 22 children with their parents and other relatives while also celebrating the adoptions of 15 deserving children,
- Provided support to volunteer advocates as they cumulatively traveled over 32,000 miles while carrying out nearly 3,000 hours of advocacy work on behalf of their children, and
- FINALLY celebrated the 100% milestone – 100% of our children being served by a volunteer CASA – A goal that has been sought but unmet for many years until 2020!
COVID changed many things this year, but the unwavering commitment of our CASA team has not been one of them. While we still crave the old “normalcy” of pre-COVID life at CASA, we leave this year grateful for all we’ve learned, thankful for opportunities to connect with our children and families, and more appreciative than ever for the dedicated backing of our community, supporters, and donors.
However you’ve supported CASA this year, we thank you! We appreciate every dollar donated, every social media post shared, every prayer lifted up on our behalf, and every other form of support you’ve offered! As we enter the holiday season and prepare for 2021, we celebrate the lessons and joys that 2020 has offered, and look forward to another year of serving our community!
Blessings to you in this holiday season. We’ll see you in 2021!
Kimberly Weiser
Executive Director
Keri Mize
Board President
