#GivingTuesday: Warm hearts and warm hands

It's cold out. Unseasonably so far.

Right now there are more than 500 children in foster care in Luzerne County because of abuse and neglect. CASA of Luzerne County has advocates speaking up for 62 of those kids. Not only have they experienced abuse and neglect, suffered trauma, and been taken away from the life they know, the majority of them are not prepared for our long, cold, Pennsylvania winters.

YOU CAN CHANGE THAT!

We invite you to join us for #GivingTuesday on Tuesday, December 3 (or any day from Thanksgiving to December 4 at 4 p.m.) to help CASA raise money to keep our kids warm this winter. Our goal is to give each of our advocates the ability to purchase coats, boots, hats, and gloves for the children for whom they advocate. Your kindness can show these most vulnerable children in our community that there are people who care about them.

AllOne Charities is accepting donations on CASA's behalf. Please visit their website and select CASA of Luzerne County to make your donation: https://allonefoundations.org/all-one-give-day/

Last year, thanks to the generosity of community, AllOne Charities, and the Times Leader, we raised enough money to keep 27 children warm. As the number of kids in foster care grows, so does the need.

AllOne's website is open from Thanksgiving Day to Wednesday, December 4 at 4 p.m.

We are so grateful to them, the Times Leader, and you for showing our children that they are loved and cared for.

CASA volunteer Gary Williams honored

Gary and Denise Williams

On May 6, CASA volunteer Gary Williams and his wife Denise were honored with the Susan Merrill-Constance Kozel Award at the Peace & Justice Center’s yearly Peace Awards Dinner for their time, generosity, and dedication to their community.

Gary has been a court appointed special advocate since 2014 and is currently on his 4th case. In those years, Gary has donated his time, his compassion, and his consistency to seven children.

He is dedicated and empathetic, two important characteristics of a great advocate.

CASA of Luzerne County is not the only beneficiary of Gary’s kindness.

He is a volunteer tax preparer for CEO, he is a tutor at the McGlynn Center, and a member of St. Therese’s Social Justice Committee. He drives for Meals on Wheels, Dinners for Kids, and the American Cancer Society. He also serves on the boards for The Back Mountain Memorial Library, Dinners for Kids, Luzerne County Head Start, Meals on Wheels, The McGlynn Center, and Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation & Development Council.

Gary’s wife, Denise, is a lay minister and Mercy Associate. She has been involved in the Commission for Economic Opportunity’s Penny Wars for the Poor for more than 20 years. She is also involved with Fair Districts PA.

Gary and Denise are shining examples of compassion and love for their community and are beyond deserving of this recognition for all they do.

Congratulations to them both!