Costumed runners race to raise funds to support kids in foster care in Kansas

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Category: Education/Family

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. foster / ˈfɔ stər / (adj.) – relating to the temporary care of a child by someone who is not the child's legal parent
    Example:

    She became a foster parent to two young children.


  2. engagement / ɛnˈgeɪdʒ mənt / (n.) – the process of encouraging people to support the work of an organization or activity
    Example:

    The museum organized free workshops to increase community engagement.


  3. mentor / ˈmɛn tɔr / (v.) – to give advice, guidance, and support to someone to help them learn or improve
    Example:

    Volunteers mentor children who need extra support.


  4. long-standing / lɔŋ ˈstæn dɪŋ / (adj.) – having existed or continued for a long time
    Example:

    The two organizations have a long-standing partnership.


  5. fundraiser / ˈfʌndˌreɪ zər / (n.) – an event or activity organized to collect money for a charity, organization, or cause
    Example:

    The school organizes several fundraisers each year.


Article

Read the text below.

Heroes dressed in their capes and costumes ran to help raise money for foster children in Kansas.


The Totally Awesome CASA Costume 5K got underway in Lawrence, Kansas, with over 50 racers participating in the inaugural event, with many in costume. Loretta Severin, a runner and former board member with the Douglas County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children, said this event was to bring awareness of the needs of CASA to the community in a fun way.


“We, a couple years before the pandemic, had a run for a few years that was superhero-themed, and one of our board members thought about bringing the run back kind of as a community engagement opportunity and a way to just get the name of CASA out in the community in a way that’s fun and family-friendly,” Severin said.


The Douglas County CASA works to provide volunteers who can mentor and be an advocate for a child throughout their time in the foster care program.


“Children who are in the foster care system really benefit from having a long-standing relationship with a trusted adult who is there and there only to pay attention to what their emotional needs are and also to help them be successful as they navigate a really challenging system,” Severin said.


Currently, CASA has over 60 kids on a waiting list to be assigned a volunteer in Douglas County.


“Fundraisers like this help us to meet those needs and have more CASAs to support those kids on the waiting list,” Molly Morgison, a board member for Douglas County CASA, said.


There are currently over 80 kids in the Douglas County CASA program, and the organization is hoping to raise funds to hire staff to train more volunteers and mentor more children in the foster care system.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • CASA volunteers build long-term relationships with children in foster care. Would you feel comfortable working as a volunteer for a foster care program? Why or why not? What personal qualities do you think someone needs before taking on that responsibility? Discuss.
  • CASA volunteers focus on children’s emotional needs while helping them through foster care. How important is it to focus on children’s emotional needs? In your opinion, which do you think can make a bigger impact on children: supporting their emotional needs or meeting their practical needs? Why? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Do you think participating in a fundraiser is the best way to help a good cause? Why or why not? What kind of fundraiser would you be most interested in joining? Why? Discuss.
  • Fundraisers like the Totally Awesome CASA Costume 5K help meet the needs of the children in foster care. If you were the one in charge of raising funds for children in foster care, what activity would you want to do? Do you think many people would support it? Why or why not? Discuss.