Helping Children

“There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.” — Nelson Mandela

More than 700,000 children experience abuse and/or neglect each year. Instead of playing with neighbors and making happy family memories, they’re attending court hearings, adjusting to new foster homes and transitioning to new schools. That’s a heavy burden for a child to carry.

Did you ever want to help children in foster care? To be a voice for a child who cannot speak up on their own? What about just helping children in your community, letting them know that they are wanted and that there is a person (YOU!) who listens to them and advocates for their best interests?

Did you ever want to help children in foster care? To be a voice for a child who cannot speak up on their own? What about just helping children in your community, letting them know that they are wanted and that there is a person (YOU!) who listens to them and advocates for their best interests?

Dianne Harman Askew, 70, passed away peacefully on November 28 after a brave battle with interstitial lung disease, a rare autoimmune disorder.

Born in Detroit in 1946, Dianne was raised in El Paso, Texas. A Kappa Delta, she graduated from the University of Texas El Paso with a bachelor’s degree in business. Shortly afterward, a handsome and charming drill sergeant, Phillip “Mike” Askew, just returned from a tour of duty in Vietnam, swept her off her feet.

To a child placed in foster care, the world can be a cold, foreboding, lonely place. But thanks to donations from some local businesses, foster children in Carson City can find some comfort in a scary situation.

In December, the Carson City district office for the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) received donations from Carson-Tahoe Health and Kassity Management Group designed to help make the difficult transition into foster care a little bit easier for children.

First Independent Bank, including its branch in Carson City, is working to make sure kids in Northern Nevada in need of warm coats this winter, will get them. The bank branch is offering an easy way for the public to donate a new or gently used coat for those who need them.

The Salvation Army is collecting backpacks and school supplies for disadvantaged children in the Carson City region. As this back to school campaign finishes up, the need has increased with more donations now being sought.

Families are invited to a special Nevada State Museum program, “Exploring Topographical Maps,” from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 17 in Carson City. The activity continues the museum’s Family Fun Saturdays series, this time with a focus on helping children discover the beauty and intrigue of maps.

The program complements the museum’s sesquicentennial exhibit, “Finding Fremont: Pathfinder of the West,” on display through spring 2015.

Joana Peraza, 16, volunteers by helping children make homemade ice cream during the Summer Reading Program Ice Cream Party. The event is hosted by the Carson City Library and includes activities such as face painting, raffle prizes and learning to make ice cream.

Photo by Kevin Clifford at www.NevadaPhotoSource.com.

CASA of Carson City will be starting a new round of training for CASA Volunteers. If you are interested in the CASA program, please join us at 6pm for the first session.