Hopeloft opened its doors on a chilly Saturday morning to welcome over 100 members of the community to CASA of CGS's Christmas Open House on December 8th.
From 10am to 3pm, local families had a great time partaking in all the festive stations that were set up. Children could sit on Santa's lap to pose for pictures (and receive a small gift!), parents could shop from local vendors, and kids of all ages enjoyed face-painting, story time, and arts & crafts.
The open house was planned by the CASA of CGS team to serve as a fun way to kick off the holiday season while also allowing people in the community to learn more about CASA. Recruitment and Training Coordinator Julia Frank was there to engage with guests about what's involved in becoming a volunteer CASA advocate. If you are interested in learning more, please visit the CASA of CGS website to get in touch with Julia.
Gloucester County resident, Elizabeth Ranson, generously donated 33 duffel bags for the foster youth we serve. In association with Together We Rise and Appel Farm, she collected the duffel bags, had them decorated, and then filled them with comfort items for the foster children they will ultimately be given to.
Kristen Watkins, an independent fashion retailer for LuLaRoe, was at the event to sell her wares — with a portion of the proceeds going to help CASA of CGS purchase Christmas gifts for the kids they serve. Other vendors and local crafters attended the event as well, and each made a contribution to CASA's efforts.
Thanks to the generosity of so many loving community members, CASA of CGS will be able to provide a gift this Christmas for each of the over 400 children they serve. Many of the remaining presents were dropped off at their collection table during the event, while others had been collected over the past few weeks, and a scant few still need to be picked up. Ultimately, the event was a rousing success and the CASA of CGS team plans on making next year's open house even better! Please subscribe to our newsletter if you'd like to know more about CASA and keep up with what's going on at the Hopeloft.