Casa de Amparo

Executive Director's Message

Mar 01, 2000

Today I received a donation from a little girl named Abbey. The sum of $9.00 was what she had managed to save in a bank she made in her Sunday school class, at the urging of her teacher. The teacher passed the money to a friend, Ruby McCormick, who sent it to Casa. Abbey, her mom Ruby, the teacher and everyone at Casa are happy with the outcome. Then there was the eight year old girl who collected several hundred dollars in pennies and presentd them to Casa. The 6th graders in Mike Evans class at Mission Estancia Elementary raised $1500.00 and went shopping for the children at Casa. A couple years ago students at Olivenhein Pioneer Elementary made quilts for the babies. Logan Strain, aged 15, set a goal of $350.00 and before he knew it he had collected $690.00 in his effort to buy a real basketball hoop to use when he volunteered at Casa. Seventeen year old Jennifer Acee planned a dance for other teens, raised over $6,000.00 dollars and then went on to win the Channel 10 Leadership Award and the National Society of Fundraisers Youth Award. National Charity League mothers and daughters cook and deliver special casseroles and cookies every week. Boy Scout Alex Burke is soliciting the contents and hand sewing 100 hygiene tote bags.

Each month donations come to Casa from children. Sometimes it is $3 or $5 dollars, sometimes quilts or Christmas stockings. Always the gifts touch the hearts of all of us. Kids really do feel compassion for their peers. They can imagine the pain, sadness and fear. It's through the comparison that they learn to value the fortunate circumstances of their own lives and families.

The constant element in these examples is the existence of a thoughful, compassionate and forward thinking adult. Whether a parent, teacher, friend or staff person at Casa, it is this adult that sets the example, gives the effort a sense of importance and harnesses the incredible energy of a child to do things that impact us all. They know that the key is to tap into a child's belief that anything is possible and to feed this belief with the rewards that come from doing good things. These children grow up to be the leaders and board members and ministers and motivators of us all. And while all this is happening the children at Casa are seeing and believeing and learning that things can change and their lives can be more than they ever dreamed.

Sharon Delphenich
Executive Director