Upcoming Holiday Boutique To Benefit Child Advocates of Silicon Valley

News from Child Advocates of Silicon Valley:

Los Altos artist Midori Adams will host a holiday art boutique featuring hand crafted items from 15 Bay Area artists to benefit Child Advocates of Silicon Valley.

The holiday boutique will be held at 228 Marvin Avenue, Los Altos, on Saturday, November 14 from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday, November 15 from 10 am to 3 pm.

Key items featured at the boutique include hand-crafted jewelry, ceramics, soaps, candles, stationary, Christmas ornaments, silk arrangements, crocheted items, kitchen aprons and towels, baby blankets, hair accessories and beautifully packaged small gift items for holiday gift giving. 10% of the proceeds from the boutique will be donated to Child Advocates where Midori is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer. Homemade baked goods such as cookies, cakes and pastries will also be available for purchase.

View a list of artists and bakers at the boutique.

Child Advocates recruits, trains and supports Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) to provide critical emotional and educational support to children in the court dependency system. The nonprofit agency has an ambitious five-year strategic plan to provide a CASA for every child in the Santa Clara County foster care system by year-end 2018. Currently, there are more than 1,600 children in the Santa Clara County dependency system, 1,000 of which could benefit from a CASA. This year, Child Advocates will serve nearly 800 children with a CASA.

“Every foster youth deserves to have an adult who cares about them and gives them unwavering support throughout their years in the foster care system,” says Karen Scussel, Child Advocates’ executive director. “We’re grateful to have so many caring CASA volunteers like Midori serve our community’s most vulnerable children.”

“I became a CASA because I wanted to provide stability and hope to these children who are in the foster care system through no fault of their own,” Midori says. “These young people need mentors and a caring adult to speak up for them in court. Working with these children has made my life much richer and rewarding,” Midori explains.

“Raising funds through this Holiday Boutique is another way for me to help the agency serve more children and spread the word about Child Advocates’ good work in the community.”

Individuals interested in becoming a CASA volunteer can visit Child Advocates’ website (www.BeMyAdvocate.org) to sign up to attend an Volunteer Open House to learn more about the role and requirements of becoming a CASA in Santa Clara County.

• Also see: Santa Clara Co. Needs Court Volunteers to Help Foster Children

About Child Advocates of Silicon Valley

Child Advocates of Silicon recruits, trains and supports Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) who serve the needs of children in the foster care system by providing a powerful, independent voice for the child. These dedicated community volunteers spend time with a child and become a trusted friend, mentor, and consistent adult presence. They work with foster parents, teachers, social workers, counselors, and others to build a complete picture of the child’s life and needs. CASAs attend hearings in dependency court to advise the judge on the child’s best interests when key decisions are being made. The CASA volunteers stay with their case until their child has a safe, loving home.

Child Advocates’ sound fiscal management practices and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator.