CASA Joy Tree event aims to provide gifts for nearly 200 Fayette County kids in family court
Lexington community members and staff at McBrayer Law Firm will be providing 160 abused and neglected children with gifts this holiday season, following the CASA Joy Tree kickoff event in downtown Lexington Wednesday.
Another 35 Fayette County children still need generous people to step up and buy them gifts so they do not go without this Christmas.
"This is an opportunity to bring some much-needed light, happiness and joy to children who have suffered more in their few short years than hopefully many of us will in our lifetimes,” said Melynda Jamison, Executive Director of CASA of Lexington.
Jamison said one of the hundreds of children who received gifts through the program last year was a teenage boy who asked for a fleece blanket because they were cold at night.
“He told his CASA volunteer, ‘I was so excited to get a fleece blanket! Now when I sleep at night, I am so warm.’ And I stopped and thought for a moment — how many teenage boys are thrilled to receive a fleece blanket?” Jamison said. “You really don’t know the difference that a small gesture of purchasing of the things on these lists can make for the children we serve.”
Under different names, the CASA Joy Tree has been providing gifts to children in the local family court system for the past 21 years, helping brighten the holidays for 2,703 Fayette County children so far.
Each participant receives the wish list of a child in the system who may not otherwise receive gifts this year. The participant shops for the child’s wishes, then brings the gifts back to McBrayer Law Firm or the CASA office. Then, CASA volunteers bring the gifts to the families and caretakers of the children in time for their holiday celebrations.
Anyone wishing to participate in the program and help one of the remaining 35 Fayette County children can email jbahr@casaoflexington.org to request the wish list of a child.
McBrayer Managing Member James H. Frazier, III, said the law firm is proud to be a partner with CASA in helping Fayette County children in need.
“Your organization means everything to us,” he told Jamison. “We understand the need and we know we could probably never fulfill it, but we’re going to do our small part.”
More than 1,000 children in Fayette County were abused or neglected last year. CASA volunteers are matched with some of those children. They visit the children monthly and advocate for what they need, especially if a need is being overlooked or forgotten.
CASA volunteers helped 423 children in Fayette County last year.
Vice Mayor Dan Wu also spoke at the kickoff. Wu, who serves as a CASA volunteer, said it’s important for the children to have consistent, supportive adults in their lives because so many other things can change without warning.
“Judges may come and go. Social workers may come and go. Their lawyers may come and go,” Wu said. “What they really, really crave is that stability and support and that’s what CASA can give them.”
SO YOU KNOW
160 of the 195 children on this year’s Fayette County CASA Joy Tree were selected at the kickoff event Wedensday. If you would like to purchase gifts for one of the remaining 35 children, you can email jbahr@casaoflexington.org or call (859) 484-6548. You can also purchase supplemental gifts for children on the CASA Joy Tree through the wish list at www.casaoflexington.org/joytree.
