Event: Holiday Parties
Date: December 13, 2025
Location: Brookside Club of Saratoga, Saratoga, CA
Population Served: Current Foster Children & Youth
Event Highlights:
To celebrate the holidays, 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 100 kids, adolescents and Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteers came together to celebrate, connect and enjoy festive, holiday-themed activities.
The morning party began with a hearty breakfast to fuel kids (and CASAs) 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.
As the event continued, the Red Ladder Theatre Company staff gathered party attendees for a special storytime. Our youth were excited to listen as stories were read in both English and Spanish, creating a moment of connection and calm. Once storytime came to an end, it was time to say our goodbyes. Before heading home, every child received a personalized gift bag thoughtfully curated by staff, ensuring each 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 baseball caps, painting, playing competitive table games and eating a delicious lunch. 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’ 2025 holiday season and was made possible with the help of the following donors and vendors:
- Allera Sports
- Brookside Club of Saratoga
- Local Color San Jose
- Red Ladder Theater
- NorStar Volleyball Club
- Thrive Sphere Athletics Foundation
- Kona Ice West San Jose
Thank you to all of our CASAs, staff, and donors 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.
