The CASA Kids Christmas Store will be open Dec. 17 for foster parents to give kids a good Christmas
Erin Green
Record Vistas Editor
Imagine a 5-year-old boy going hungry because his mom’s buying drugs to feed her habit rather than food to feed her son.
Imagine a 10-year-old girl whose dad beats her up for the slightest reason — or, for no reason at all.
Imagine a 12-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother who can’t wear short sleeves because the bruises will show where their mother’s boyfriend beat them.
Imagine a 7-year-old who is molested regularly by a family member.
Imagine being a child in any of these situations.
Imagine being the child who doesn’t want to leave school at the end of every school day — the child who hates the weekends because of the horrible things that go on at home, the child who goes hungry becasue of a parents’ drug habit or the child who doesn’t know where his parents are or when he might eat next.
Imagine being the child whose teacher, neighbor or guardian steps in to help.
Imagine going to a foster home filled with things you may have never had, filled with food and warmth and love.
Imagine being such a child.
The need is incredible, said Carrie-Leigh Cloutier, executive director of Chaves County CASA. The recession is one reason, but the holiday season is also a major factor — child abuse rises during the holiday season, she said. And, unfortunately, because of the state budget deficit and budget cuts coming from Santa Fe, “there is no money or resources to help abused kids this year,” Cloutier said. While no programs have yet been cut locally, Cloutier called the cuts “enormous,” adding since the recession began, CASA’s seen more than $200,000 in contracts cut. But the cuts don’t stop abuse and neglect, she said. In fact, at times such as these, they often see situations worsen. “Everything compounds during the holidays,” Cloutier said. “We see the stress start after Halloween. After Thanksgiving, it explodes. ... The pressure on families becomes worse. The tensions in the families becomes worse. Custody battles become worse. The tensions in families who can’t provide, the family that can’t buy groceries but the son wants in iPod — these donations help prevent child abuse.”
And that is why the CASA Kids Christmas Store helps make the holidays brighter for area foster kids, Cloutier said. CASA serves more than 1,000 children from birth through age 18 in Chaves County each year who have been abused, abandoned, neglected, sexually molested, at-risk or who are victims of domestic violence. Many of those children are profoundly underprivileged and have never received a gift, Cloutier said.
That’s where CASA’s Kids Christmas Store comes in. Through community donations, CASA will open its Christmas Store from 1-5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 17, for parents and foster parents to come to CASA’s offices to shop for free among the toys, clothing, bicycles and other gifts available for the programs’ children and youth.
Especially needed are items for teenagers and items such as T-shirts, underwear and socks, which are distributed to youth at the Juvenile Detention Center.
“So often they’re kids who are not bad kids,” Cloutier said. “They’ve just had zero family support. Often, they’ve been abused. They just need a break.”
“So often they’re kids who are not bad kids,” Cloutier said. “They’ve just had zero family support. Often, they’ve been abused. They just need a break.”
Donated items are due to the CASA offices, 500 N. Main St., Ste. 310, in the Bank of America building, by by 5 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 16.
Luckily for CASA, donations are already coming in — Cloutier received four shopping carts’ worth of toys and $270 in cash from the staff of KBIM 94.9, collected during a five-hour period in front of Walmart through its Make A Smile Happen toy collection drive. “We want to thank the outpouring of the community.” said Tom A. Ruiz of KBIM. “Without them, we couldn’t have made this happen.” Cloutier said she is always extremely grateful for the community support and by those in the community who go above and beyond to help CASA. “We’re always just mind-boggled by the generosity and by the hopes that we will be able to continue our programs,” Cloutier said, adding that the people can donate through the CASA website, http://www.casakids.org/.
For more information about CASA, or to donate, call 625-0112, visit 500 N. Main St., Ste. 310, or log onto http://www.casakids.org/.
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