Monday, January 23, 2017

California Department of Child Support Services Opens Hearts Wide for Sacramento Children’s Home

For the 2016 holiday season, the California Department of Child Support Services (CA DCSS) participated in the Sacramento Children’s Home (SCH) Christmas Gift Star Program, gathering toys and gift cards which were handed out to children of all ages.

CA DCSS chose 30 traditional gift stars and 30 gift card stars from the SCH Gift Star Program. Each of the traditional gift stars included three gifts for a boy or girl of a designated age and each of the gift card stars encouraged donating gift cards of $20 or more. All of the traditional gift stars were picked within three working days of the event being posted. CA DCSS staff wasted no time in turning their items in - on the very first day, the Information Security Office staff brought in a high-chair, diapers, teething rings, toys and more.

Some of the stars were chosen by individuals.  Others were selected by teams or units within CA DCSS, who joined together to grant every single wish on each of the traditional gift stars, some even adding more than $100 in gift cards.

In total, CA DCSS collected more than 240 toys, books, bikes, clothes, diapers, etc. and donated more than $1,240 in gift cards for Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, Old Navy and various restaurants: a tremendous showing of generosity from a department with less than 700 employees.

In addition to the department-wide toy drive, the CA DCSS Executive staff “adopted” two families associated with SCH and donated a baby crib and mattress, warm clothes, rain boots, appliances, toys and more based on the wish lists submitted by the families.

The Sacramento Childrens' Home is a non-profit agency which provides services to families in crisis and troubled or abused children. SCH offers a comprehensive spectrum of prevention, early intervention and treatment programs to strengthen families and stop the generational cycle of child abuse and neglect. From educating parents of infants and toddlers to teaching independent living skills to young adults, SCH makes a significant difference in the lives of 6,200 children and 4,600 families in the Sacramento region each year.
###
Dana Simas
CA Dept of Child Support Services

No comments:

Post a Comment