| Campaign For Casa Kids |
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Casa de Amparo Marks Major Milestone
September 21, 2011 marked a major milestone in the construction of Casa de Amparo’s new Casa Kids Campus in San Marcos-- placement of the highest beam at the top of The Children’s Services Center, the central building in this 11.4 acre campus that also includes three residential cottages. This event, known in building construction as Topping Out, was celebrated by over 150 guests. Casa de Amparo Executive Director Sharon Delphenich welcomed donors, staff, supporters, volunteers and the members of the construction teams to the Topping Out Ceremony which included a BBQ lunch and tours of the new campus. Jim Grant of Grant General Contractors recognized the investment made by the 50 subcontractors working on the project, the majority of whom included a portion of in-kind labor and/or materials as part of their work. When completed, more than 500 trades people will have worked on the campus. Grant General Contractors has long supported Casa de Amparo and Grant encouraged his construction team as well as guests to continue their support for the organization and its work with abused and neglected children. “The Children’s Services Center will house offices for counseling, medical needs, onsite education, recreation and other activities to create a well-rounded experience that is important to the healing process,” said Delphenich. “The campus will include many outdoor areas (landscaped with drought tolerant native plants) to allow for outdoor activities.” The cottages will replace the organization’s current Children’s Shelter which is devoted to children removed from the home due to abuse or neglect and long-term residential care. The Shelter, currently located in Oceanside, has served these children for over 33 years. Last year the Shelter provided 2,952 nights of emergency shelter. The new campus will expand capacity in an environment conducive to quality care. Cottages offer a cheerful, homelike setting, each complete with a living room, kitchen where staff and residents will prepare healthy home-cooked meals, bedrooms and two multi-purpose rooms that open to an outdoor courtyard. All buildings on the campus are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, something especially important as Casa de Amparo also serves abused or neglected children with special health care needs. The campus will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified by The U.S. Green Building Council. Delphenich urged guests to consider a cash or in-kind gift. Each need the organization is able to fulfill through an in-kind donation, helps reduce the amount of cash that still needs to be raised. “My personal goal is to open the campus debt-free, enabling us to spend our limited resources on Casa Kids and not on a mortgage,” said Delphenich. “Thanks to our generous supporters, we’ve raised an impressive $11.4 million of our $16 million goal. But we need your help to keep the fundraising momentum high so please spread the word, including our need for in-kind materials, and together we will bring this dream to fruition.” Casa de Amparo offers five integrated programs focused on the treatment and prevention of child abuse. The Hayward Child Development Center preschool for at-risk children and families and the Family Visitation Center will remain in Oceanside as will New Directions, a transitional housing program for former foster youth. For more information, see www.casadeamparo.org or call 760-754-5500. For naming opportunities at the new campus contact Katherine M. Karpé, CFRE, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For in-kind donations, contact Keely Tidrow, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Future Casa Kids Campus (concept) |
