TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – Every year Vigo County Court Appointed Special Advocates presents underprivileged children with gifts near the holiday. Due to COVID-19, this year, CASA is calling on the community for help.
In December, Vigo County CASA hosts a holiday celebration known as Christmas in Whoville. During that celebration, children that are represented by the organization receive gifts, in some cases possibly their only one.
“We know that a lot of the Christmas presents that we give the children every year is sometimes the only gift they get, just due to the financial struggles and the hardships these children are facing,” said Glenna Cheesman, Vigo County CASA director.
Typically, CASA’s ability to give gifts to these children is driven by the support of local businesses and donors but due to COVID-19 that may not be the case this year.
“Due to unforeseen financial issues and things like that some of our supporters that we normally have that are corporations are unable to help us because of the COVID impact,” Cheesman said.
To ensure that Christmas goes on, this year, the organization is hosting a toy drive throughout Vigo County.
At 8 locations, Christmas trees are going up decorated with tags.
Each of these tags represents an opportunity for the community to make the holiday’s brighter for kids in CASA’s program.
“We’ve asked the community to step up and we’ve been given wonderful locations this year so that the people in the community can grab a tag and help provide a gift and a smile for a child this Christmas,” Cheesman said.
Cheesman says her goal is that the over 1,100 children in the program are able to have a merry Christmas.
“Our goal is to be 100 percent to all the children in our program, to get them a gift this year for Christmas,” Cheesman said.
Cheesman says the Christmas in Whoville event has been moved outdoors and will use a drive-thru format to abide by COVID-19 guidelines.
Locations of the Christmas trees:
- Meadow’s Shopping Center-Tag pick up (goes up 11/6 after 2pm)
- Ace Blind and Drapery: 9-5 M-F located at Meadows, gift drop off
- Baesler’s-Tag pick up (goes up 11/6 after 2pm)
- Dawgleg at Idlecreek: Gift Drop off
- The Haute Center: Tag pick up
- Vigo County Library: Tag pick up (goes up 11/6 after 2pm)
- Dedicated Health: Tag and gift drop off
- Haute Center: Tag pick up and gift drop off (goes up 11/7 after 10am)
