Woodford County CASA Angel Tree event provides gifts for 41 abused and neglected children

Woodford County community members and Lakeshore Learning employees signed up to brighten the holidays for 41 abused and neglected children during Thursday’s Woodford County CASA Angel Tree event.

“The children on this tree deserve to have a wonderful Christmas,” said Woodford County Judge-Executive James Kay. “They deserve it more than most because they’ve been through so much.”

Envelopes with the wish lists of the children decorated the CASA Angel Tree in a conference room on the factory floor of Lakeshore Learning. Each child is involved in a family court case and has a CASA volunteer, who advocates for their best interests.

Woodford County Family Court Judge Joe Fooks said he likes getting CASA reports because they let him understand the children much better and they identify things that others on the case may not think of. CASA volunteers help get better outcomes in big and small ways for kids, he said.

“We really appreciate everything CASA does,” Fooks said. “And I really appreciate everything that the community does to list up an organization like this.”

Attendees picked the envelopes from the tree so they could then go shopping for gifts for each child. Once they bring back the gifts, Woodford CASA volunteers will deliver them to each child’s caretakers in time for the holidays.

"We are here today to light the CASA Angel Tree and bring some much-needed light and happiness to children who have suffered more in their few short years than many of us will in our lifetime,” said Melynda Jamison, Executive Director of the Woodford County CASA program.

This was the sixth year for the CASA Angel Tree program in Woodford County, and Lakeshore Learning has hosted every year. Over the first five years, participants provided gifts for 122 children. This year’s participants are now shopping for gifts for another 41.

CASA volunteers are matched with abused and neglected children. They visit the children monthly, gather information about their lives and provide reports that help the judge and others involved better understand each child’s needs and what would be best for them.

It takes about 5-10 hours a month to serve as a CASA volunteer. Jamison said Woodford County has more CASA volunteers now than it has ever had before, but there are still children without a CASA volunteer.

In 2023, Woodford CASA volunteers served 26 kids. Through the first nine months of 2024, there had been 41 new cases of child abuse and neglect in Woodford County.

“We want you to just show up for these kids,” Jamison said.

The next regional in-person training class for new CASA volunteers begins Jan. 9, with classes on evenings and weekends in Lexington. A full schedule is available at www.casaoflexington.org/training. Online classes are also available; you can inquire about those trainings by emailing info@casaoflexington.org.

For more information about the CASA Angel Tree program, visit www.casaoflexington.org/angeltree.