BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — A local organization is working right now to make sure children in the foster system have a happy holiday.
Voices for Children is hosting its annual 12 Days of Giving, supporting children that are impacted by the child welfare system.
“Our goal is to raise $24,000 dollars which goes directly to kids in foster care and to keeping the program running and making sure that there’s people that are able to advocate for those kids in foster care,” says Lauren Eckert, Community and Donor Relations Coordinator, Voices for Children.
Voices for Children serves seven different counties across Texas in the Brazos Valley.
Rachel Templin and Kelli Adam are casa volunteers of over three years and love being a constant in these children’s lives.
“I think our role is extremely important because we are the only person who has really talking directly for the child,” says Rachel Templin, CASA Volunteer.
“They don’t really have that one person to take care of them,” says Kelli Adam, CASA Volunteer. “Our job is to be assigned to a case and a child no matter what changes, whether their attorneys change, or their placements change, or anything changes, we’re there. We want to be with that child through the entire process.
Voices for Children says during the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year, 170 volunteers donated nearly 9,500 hours of service.
Templin and Adam understand what it takes to help keep the program running.
“It keeps the program going and without CASA, a lot of these kids would be floundering,” says Templin. “They would not get what they need. Without the money, the program can’t run so it’s just vital that the program is supported by our community.”
“This money goes directly to helping the kids have a voice when generally, they might not be able to have a big voice for themselves in court,” says Eckert.
12 Days of Giving helps Voices for Children not only recruit more volunteers but the opportunity to help make a difference in a child’s life in the welfare system.
“Our mission is to make sure each one of these kids ends up in a safe and permanent home, and it’s really special that we get to kind of see that,” says Eckert.
Donations can be made now through December 12 on the event's Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages.
You can also find a list hereof children’s wish list from their recent toy drive that have not been shopped for yet.