CASA for the Holidays

Since 2008, the Staff Advisory Council, in partnership with the Black Faculty and Staff Association, has sponsored "CASA for the Holidays" as its signature annual community service project. The staff choose to help the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Orleans Parish, CASA of Jefferson Parish and CASA of St. Tammany Parish, organizations that train volunteers to be advocates for abused and neglected children. The council organizes an annual toy, gift and gift card drive to help more than 400 children in foster homes, group homes and hospitals in the three parishes.

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SUCCESS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS

"CASA for the Holidays" 2009
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NOTE FROM CASA:

Once again, please extend our deepest appreciation to all of the Tulane employees who generously donated to this year’s “CASA for the Holidays” gift drive. The beautiful assortment of toys will be given to foster children on the Northshore whose caregivers need a little extra help filling the space under the tree this year. The Wal-Mart and Target gift cards are so very much appreciated. Some of the gift cards were used to buy a couple of basketballs for a family of 4 brothers whose mother is grappling with serious mental illness. The boys specifically requested the basketballs because they love to play together! Some of the other gift cards will be used to buy educational toys for a toddler who came into the system due to failure to thrive caused by serious neglect. She’s in a loving foster home and she’s starting to grow and catch up developmentally. Thank you for being a part of her progress! A few of the older children will be given the gift cards so they can make their own purchases, including two elementary school aged sisters who are placed in separate foster homes. I suspect that they will use their gift cards to buy presents for each other. The group’s generosity again will affect many lives, and won’t be soon forgotten.

Thanks,
Mary Slazer, CASA Director                     
Youth Service Bureau

NOTE FROM CASA:

Happy New Year!  Please extend heartfelt thanks to all of your co-workers who donated to the Christmas gift drive.  The toys were greatly appreciated and were distributed to children in "the system" throughout the northshore.  The Wal-mart and Target gift cards were especially welcomed.  A batch of them went to a group of boys in OCS custody who are living in a therapeutic group home.  Several of the children served by our CASA program are living with grandparents who have big hearts, but limited incomes.  They were so pleased to be able to use the gift cards to buy the special things their little ones had asked Santa to bring them.  The remainder of the cards were distributed to teenage children in foster care.  The gift cards were especially appreciated by these kids, as they are so often overlooked. 

Your group’s generosity touched many, many lives this holiday season.  Again, thank you so much!

Thanks,
Mary Slazer, CASA Director                     
Youth Service Bureau

"The Tulane Staff Advisory Council and the Black Faculty and Staff Association have collected thousands of dollars and lots of toys this holiday season for CASA, which promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children so that they can thrive in safe, permanent homes. Toys will be given to children in foster homes, group homes and hospitals."