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USK — The Pend Oreille Valley Court Appointed Special Advocates program is accepting donations to provide Christmas Gifts to children in the child welfare system as part of its sixth annual CASA Christmas Project.
CASA, a Kalispel Tribal program, provides advocacy and other services for youth involved in child welfare cases in Pend Oreille County Superior Court and Kalispel Tribal Court. Each holiday season, every child in the program makes a wish list, which are compiled into one Amazon Wish List for easy access.
Community members can participate in the project by selecting and purchasing gifts directly from this Wish List or by donating monetarily to CASA. Once they receive the gifts, CASA staff and volunteers wrap them and ensure they are delivered to each child’s home.
This year, CASA is collaborating with Kalispel Casino and other local businesses in an effort to reach more community members and encourage donations. As of Monday, Nov. 24, informational flyers and QR code stickers linking to the Wish List are on display at Kalispel Casino and several coffee shops throughout the county. The link is also on the Tribe’s website at kalispeltribe.com/casa-christmas- project.
“We are honored to partner with the CASA Christmas Project. Caring for others is an important part of the Kalispel culture,” said Curt Holmes, vice chairman and executive director of Kalispel Casino and Government Affairs for the Tribe, in a Tribe news release. “Making the holidays brighter for local kids in the child welfare system is absolutely the right thing to do.”
For questions about the project, contact CASA program manager Johnna Konkright at jakonkright@ kalispeltribe.com or 509-- 447-7150.
