Event: Holiday Parties
Date: December 14, 2024
Location: Brookside Club of Saratoga, Saratoga, CA
Population Served: Current Foster Children & Youth
Event Highlights:
On Saturday, Child Advocates hosted their yearly holiday parties! The first party was geared toward foster children ages 0–12 and the second for teenagers 13 and older. Over 90 kids, adolescents and Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteers joined the festivities and participated in various holiday-themed activities.
The morning party began with a hearty breakfast to fill kids (and CASAs) with the fuel needed for all the fun activities. Throughout our activities station, our kids explored making slime, snow globes, ornaments and more. They also tried their hand at Christmas tree bowling, drawing, and writing heartfelt letters to Santa. Each activity doubled as an opportunity to develop key skills like following directions, making decisions, and enhancing motor abilities—all while having a blast. The highlight of the event was meeting Santa himself, who served hot chocolate and snow cones in his Kona Ice truck. There was also a special visit from Disney’s Queen Elsa. At the end of the party, every kid received a personalized gift bag curated by staff, ensuring every holiday wish was fulfilled.
After the kids’ party ended, it was time to welcome our teens! Our staff transformed the space and stations into a more teen-friendly environment, inviting them to participate in activities without any pressure to engage. Activities included designing personalized sunglasses, crafting holiday lip balms, playing competitive games, eating a delicious lunch and competing in outdoor sports such as soccer and football. Our teens were also able to socialize with one another while collecting prizes from competitive games and stations. Every teen in attendance also received a gift bag filled with age-appropriate gifts and gift cards.
Both events were designed to create positive childhood experiences (PCEs), which are crucial for supporting our youth in healing from trauma. This holiday party accomplished providing 5 out of the 7 PCEs, which are:
- Building Supportive Relationships
- Physical Activity
- Nutrition
- Mindfulness
- Access to Nature
This day was the perfect end to Child Advocates’ 2024 holiday season and was only made possible with the help of the following donors and vendors:
- Margarita Rodriguez-Face Painter
- Allera Sports
- Brookside Club of Saratoga
- Sons of Sicily San Jose
- Kona Ice West San Jose
Thank you to all of our CASAs and staff for making this day so special—we look forward to seeing everyone again next year!
If you are interested in sponsoring next year’s holiday party or a future youth-related event, please contact our development department at development@childadvocatessv.org.
