Volunteer makes a gift tag for a wrapped present during CASA's annual Holiday Project wrapping event. Photo by Monserrat Solis.
Volunteer makes a gift tag for a wrapped present during CASA's annual Holiday Project wrapping event. Photo by Monserrat Solis.

Lea este articulo en español aquí.

A San Benito nonprofit organization ensures foster children will receive gifts this holiday season.

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of San Benito County, which advocates for children who have been abandoned, abused and neglected and placed in foster care, hosted its 15th Holiday Project. The project invites the public to donate toys, clothes and shoes to the foster children CASA advocates for.

CASA collected gifts for 45 children this year, the group’s Social Media Coordinator Zoe Martinez said. 

On Dec. 8, CASA employees and volunteers held a party where every donated item was wrapped with holiday wrapping paper and bows and placed in black bags.

Holiday music filled a conference room in the Community Foundation Epicenter, where CASA is housed, during the wrapping event. Wrapping paper, tape, toys and clothes were spread out on tables while volunteers sang along and wrapped the gifts.

  • Volunteers wrap gifts for CASA's annual Holiday Project. Photo by Monserrat Solis.
  • Volunteers wrap gifts for CASA's annual Holiday Project. Photo by Monserrat Solis.
  • Volunteers wrap gifts for CASA's annual Holiday Project. Photo by Monserrat Solis.
  • Volunteers wrap gifts for CASA's annual Holiday Project. Photo by Monserrat Solis.
  • Volunteers wrap gifts for CASA's annual Holiday Project. Photo by Monserrat Solis.
  • Volunteers wrap gifts for CASA's annual Holiday Project. Photo by Monserrat Solis.
  • CASA Executive Director and Case Supervisor Olivia Tauvinkl load up a truck with presents. Photo by Monserrat Solis.
  • Volunteer makes a gift tag for a wrapped present during CASA's annual Holiday Project wrapping event. Photo by Monserrat Solis.

“Each gift was crafted with care, making every present extra special for our kiddos,” a CASA newsletter said.

After the gifts were wrapped, a CASA advocate delivered a bag of gifts to the child the advocate cares for, Martinez said.

Children are appointed by the court system to CASA, which trains child advocates when dealing with the court system or in school, Martinez said. 

By Dec. 19, all the gifts had been delivered, Martinez said.

We need your help. Support local, nonprofit news! BenitoLink is a nonprofit news website that reports on San Benito County. Our team is committed to this community and providing essential, accurate information to our fellow residents. It is expensive to produce local news and community support is what keeps the news flowing. Please consider supporting BenitoLink, San Benito County’s public service, nonprofit news.

Monserrat Solis covers San Benito County for BenitoLink as part of the California Local News Fellowship with UC Berkeley. A San Fernando Valley native, she's written for the Southern California News Group,...