Last year, as a part of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, we recognized Henrico Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, or Henrico CASA, for the work it does to improve the lives of children in our community. For those who aren’t familiar with the organization, Henrico CASA is a nonprofit that advocates in court for a child’s best interests and seeks to educate the community concerning the needs of abused and neglected children.
In our previous article, we highlighted CASA’s inaugural “Home for Good” event in which the organization partnered with local builders to create, display, and give away three, one-of-a-kind playhouses. To CASA, these playhouses serve as a reminder that childhood should be fun and carefree, without abuse or neglect. For about two weeks, the playhouses were on display online and at Short Pump Town Center, where the public could donate $5 for a chance to take one of the houses home with them. These donations directly funded CASA’s work and were used to help recruit, screen, train and supervise its advocates.
Looking back, “Home for Good” 2021 was a huge success. CASA raised nearly $80,000 dollars and received donations from over 200 families. Thanks to the community’s support, CASA was able to accept all 385 children referred to them this past year by judges in the Henrico County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.
Based on the success of last year’s event, CASA decided to host “Home for Good” again and establish it as an annual fundraising effort for their organization. This time, however, the scope will be even bigger. While last year’s builders donated three playhouses to the cause, this year’s builders are donating a generous five playhouses. Four of these playhouses are being built by Classic Construction, DPR Construction, UrbanCore Construction, and W.M. Jordan Company. The fifth playhouse is being built by Henrico Career and Technical Education students, who are using this opportunity to build skills while simultaneously giving back.
If you’d like to see the playhouses in person, “Home for Good” 2022 will return to Short Pump Town Center from April 22 to May 8. You can donate to CASA for a chance to win one of these beautiful homes to take home. A random electronic drawing will be conducted on May 9 from all eligible entries, and winners will be notified via email and telephone.
This year’s designs include “Classic Cottage,” “Dream Dugout,” “Modern Mansion,” “Happy Camper” and “Castle Rock.” Each playhouse has its own distinct design that will, no doubt, spark its lucky recipient’s imagination. If you’d like to see the mock-ups for this year’s playhouses, you can take a look here.
To learn more about Henrico CASA, visit its website, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
