According to Dallas CASA volunteer Ashley Bryan Flores,
“My wish for the holidays is that more children who have been abused or neglected and are living in the protective care of the state can focus on just being kids at camps this summer.
“In 2022, I was assigned to advocate for two young brothers. I’ll call them Bryson and Kason to protect their privacy. They were 10 and 11, and they were as close as brothers can be. They were just two of the 2,611 children Dallas CASA’s volunteers served in 2022.
“Life at home had been chaotic. Their mother was in a violent relationship and had been using illegal drugs to cope. Child Protective Services (CPS) became involved after their stepfather assaulted their mother and was arrested. Their mom was ready to leave, but she was also battling addiction.
“Bryson and Kason were placed with their aunt while their mom sought treatment for her addiction and counseling. Their aunt calmed the chaos and brought structure to the boys’ lives, and they loved and respected her. But as good as things were at their aunt’s, they longed to return home to their mom. They spoke with fondness and love of the times before she used drugs and fought with their stepdad.
“When Dallas CASA notified me that funds were available for the boys to attend a local YMCA summer sleepaway camp, I knew it was a great opportunity for two active, energetic young boys. The camp was offering discounted rates to children living in protective care, and a funder was covering the rest of the cost. The boys were thrilled thinking of a week at sleepaway camp.
“The camp placed the boys in the same cabin for familiarity and they fully embraced everything the camp had to offer – cabin life, new friends, swimming and being outdoors. At camp, they could be just kids, not kids with a tough past. They returned after a week rejuvenated and ready for school. A few weeks later, their mother successfully completed services ordered by CPS and the boys were joyfully reunified with their mother.
“The case closed last year, but I helped the mom reach out to the same summer camp last summer. This amazing camp offered the boys a scholarship to attend again.
“In July 2023 alone, Dallas CASA sent 36 children ages six to 16 to a YMCA Camp Grady Spruce, an overnight camp in Graford, Texas, that has a special relationship with Dallas CASA. Other camps Dallas CASA helped fund included sports camps, academic camps, arts camps and more. Dallas CASA was also able to fulfill requests for items needed for camp, such as sleeping bags and trunks. Part of the agency’s mission is to restore childhood. What better way to do it than camp?
“My wish is that more children like Bryson and Kason can find peace and healing at summer camp. I wish for additional funding for Dallas CASA to send children to summer camps where they can know what it means to just be kids.”
* Graphic/photo provided by Dallas CASA
