2015 was Yavapai CASA for Kids Foundation’s first full year as an Arizona “Qualifying Foster Care Charitable Organization” – and we are still the only one in Yavapai County where the money stays in our community - which means that cash donations represent a credit against their Arizona State tax obligation up to $800.00 in any taxable year for a married couple filing a joint return, or $400.00 in any taxable year for a single individual, head of household, or married filing separate - and donors do not need to itemize deductions to qualify. Due to this tax credit, our individual donation during 2015 doubled cash donations in the previous year.
There were 191 grants approved to foster children and families totaling $43,626.48. Most of these grants where for basic needs of clothing, beds/bedding, medical, sports activities, camps and education. We helped 200 foster children with several grants being for multiple children.
Our Prescott Visitation Center is open Monday - Friday from 9:00am - 4:30pm. There are seven (7) Agencies, up from five (5) last year utilizing these rooms, with 882.75 hours in use for the year, up from 550 hours last year. This allows relatives the opportunity to spend time with their child in a supervised environment.
The Adoption Exchange Mailbox had 32 birth and adoptive family members sign up in 2015. This allows the possibility to have communication between birth and adoptive families in a way that respects the confidentiality of all parties. Over 50 letters were exchanged.
Celebration cards - These are gift cards from local stores that are given to children when they experience a milestone, such as a birthday, improving grades in school, getting along better in the foster home, not wetting the bed for a week, or sleeping through the night in their own bed. Celebration Cards provide much-needed positive reinforcement.
April 7th was the second AZ Gives Day that we participated in with great success, raising $5,036.63 and receiving a matching donation dollar for dollar from an anonymous donor up to $5.000.00, making the grand total $10,036.63.
We continue to support CASA Time for Teens - aka T4T - and this year they have co-sponsored several events for foster teens in the independent living program, as well as trainings for CASAs who work with teens.
There are two Adoption Day's each year that we had the privilege to support. along with an appreciation lunch in the Spring and a Holiday Dinner in the winter for CASA's.
We also had our 2nd Annual Costume for Kids 5K Fun Run/Walk starting and ending at the Courthouse Square on Gurley. We had over 100 participants dressed in costume, jogging through our beautiful downtown Prescott. There was a face painter, with booths from The Spot Children's Museum, Heritage Park Zoo, and Canine Companions. A live radio remote from Magic 99.1fm, free pizza provided by Papa John's Pizza and drinks provided by Coca-Cola. We gave away gift cards/baskets for Best Costume, Best Team Costumes, Best Individual Costumes from many of our downtown sponsors. We also had Ten (10) Corporate sponsors for this event.
The Clothing Gift Cards were distributed to DCS on August 27, 2015 with 434 gift cards issued in the amount of $20,569.00. The agencies then forwarded these cards to the foster families.
Last year we co-collaborated with a few other non-profits in town providing volunteers for their events, ie YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, Prevent Child Abuse, Yavapai Humane Society, and The Launch Pad.
There was a collaboration between YC4KF and our AZ Diamond Back's, Blanket's For Kids and Master Touch Bus Company in Prescott Valley. The bus drove 10 Foster Families down to the game meeting up with 5 other foster families who drove with 75 people attending the game.
We had our first annual GALA held at the Antelope Hills Golf Course in June, with only two seats from being sold out!! There were numerous silent auction and raffle items generously donated by community businesses. We raised $11,884.51 and cannot thank everyone enough for attending/donating to this event.
When children are removed from their homes, they often have only the clothes on their backs. We provide emergency clothing cards to the DCS offices, so they can get the children the bare necessities until the foster parent receives the clothing allowance. This year over 150 children were recipients of these cards for a total of $9,145.00.
The Holiday Gift Drive was another great success with 18 distribution sites set up all over the Quad City area. Foster families, CASAs and DCS workers were able to come to the distribution site so generously made available to us by the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie #3600 and selected special gifts for the very special children we serve ranging from books to bikes, from clothes to toys for kids of all ages. We made gifts and gift cards available to over 250 children in the Prescott/Tri-city area. Additional gifts were distributed through the West Yavapai Guidance Clinic staff and the Coalition for Compassion and Justice. There was even a special distribution to the youth in Yavapai House and in the Independent Living program. We send our special thanks to the “Tree minders” and the distribution helpers, the e-mail and poster drafters and all the rest who made this possible. The kids may not know who the people are who worked so hard - but CASA for Kids Foundation does.
This year the Yavapai Juvenile Court embarked on a new project called CODY (Court Orientation for Dependant Youth,). The program is implemented by CASA Time for Teens with the help of DCS and local attorneys, and financial support from C4K. This new program encourages youth to attend their court hearings and familiarize them with the dependency process – to let them know they have a voice and encourage them to use it. The program brings dependent youth age 12 and up to court after hours for a presentation in the courtroom which describes how the court moves through dependency process and the roles of each of the participants. Presenters are: the Judge, an AAG, a parent’s attorney, a child’s attorney, a child’s GAL, a CASA, a DCS worker and a youth (foster graduate). The youth are encouraged to be sure all participants in the dependency system know what they want and need.
December is a very busy time of year besides the gift drive we also participated in the annual Stocking Stuffer Bazaar on 12/19th, held at the Armory on Gurley. Again, this year you could purchase ornaments made by foster children and alumni. We raised over $350.00 and next year we are looking to host a craft day where volunteers can come together and create crafts to sell at this unique event.
Our grant committee applied for 13 grants and we were awarded 11 totaling in the amount of $19,500.00. CONGRATULATIONS grant committee on a very successful year!
What can you look forward to from us in 2016? This year the Board has even more goals set.
We will continue to provide foster families with much needed necessities through our grant request program. We will fund Adoption Day's and Time for Teens activities along with giving gift cards for emergency clothing. We are hoping to increase the hours that the Prescott Visitation Center is available to children in foster care and their families, and will be looking into opening another visiting center in Prescott Valley that can be open on nights and weekends.
We would also like to continue to expand our social media presence with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and possibly a quarterly newsletter. So if you haven't liked us, are not following us, or have not pinned us, please do so as this will keep you up to date on things happening with Yavapai CASA for Kids Foundation.
Specific dates or months to mark on your calendars are below.
Spring Fundraiser - In June
AZ Give Day will be Tuesday, April 5th
Craft Day for Christmas Bazaar - TBD
3nd Annual 5K Fun run/walk will be October 23, 2016
December - Holiday Gift Drive & Stocking Stuffer Bazaar - TBD
Keep checking back for updates of things happening in and around Yavapai County from this amazing Foundation.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A BOARD MEMBER OR A VOLUNTEER FOR ANY OF OUR COLLABORATIONS OR OUR EVENTS, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO GIVE US A CALL! WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU!!!
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