Hot Cocoa Bombs for CASA Youth
CASA of Union County
As many share a card of appreciation, friendship or romance this month for Valentine’s Day, CASA of Union County – the only nonprofit tapped by the Union County courts to advocate for area youth in the child welfare system – has kicked off a campaign to share the same warm and fuzzies with the child-victims from our own community it serves each day.
Says Executive Director Mariel S. Hufnagel, “There’s so much going on in the world right now, and so much on everyone’s shoulders. But for those in the child-welfare system at no fault of their own, the burdens are even heavier and, sadly, the support is often less. Just as we rally around our own loved ones from time to time to ensure they feel special, we want to ensure local children involved in the child welfare system also get to feel the love this month! With each order, one of our dedicated volunteer advocates will be able to make a special delivery to share your gift with their youth. Let’s show these kids that they live in a community that cares for them. It’s as easy as heading to our website and choosing how many kids’ cups you want to fill during this month of love.”
Order a hot cocoa bomb for a foster youth or foster sibling set by logging on to casaofunioncounty.org/CASA-Kids-Are-The-Bomb now through Friday, February 4, for distribution the following week. One cocoa bomb is just $10; additional quantities are reduced.
CASA of Union County aims to raise awareness about Union County youth in the child welfare system as well as the need for community volunteers to train as advocates to protect their best interests. Funds raised not only provide foster youth a surprise sweet treat when their advocate next visits, but also support the recruitment and training efforts involved in maintaining a corps of trained volunteer advocates serving as extra eyes and ears for local judges and a voice for their assigned youth.
With the ambitious goal of being able to provide an advocate for every youth that needs one, the organization remains steadfast in efforts to ensure its work continues, even amid the pandemic. Last year, CASA volunteers donated more than 7,000 hours to serve 339 child-victims and 99.7 percent of all court recommendations were accepted by judges.
For details on how you can become an advocate and Change a Child’s Story for a lifetime, and other ways to support the agency’s efforts, contact Lucia at info@casaofunioncounty.org.
