Every day at Casa de Esperanza is a practice in gratitude. We are grateful for the opportunity to care for children, to help families be the healthiest they can be, to work with amazing donors and volunteers and, of course, we are always grateful for the unstoppable generosity of our community.

Thanksgiving is often a time for family, biological or chosen, and this Thanksgiving we are so grateful for the big Casa de Esperanza family. Many of you joined us at the Casa 40^th Birthday celebration last month-- former house parents joined us from all over the U.S., some who had never seen the neighborhood. Post-adopt families also came and it was wonderful to catch up and see how the kids have grown! Thank you to the donors and volunteers who made the weekend a success.

Generous donors like you help families succeed despite the odds. I hope you are inspired by reading the story of the Jackson family in the article below. Like so many before them, the Jackson's found hope and help through some of their most challenging days because of you. When you contribute to our annual Triple the Hope campaign, you help families like theirs find their own success stories. Thanks to generous donors, every gift made to this campaign will be matched 2:1! We appreciate your support!

Casa de Esperanza strives to be good stewards of the gifts it is given, to provide top-notch programs for the children and families who turn to us for help, and to meet or exceed licensing and fiscal requirements. When you invest in the mission of Casa de Esperanza by giving a monetary gift, you can be assured that it will be used responsibly and wisely. I am proud to share that Casa de Esperanza has received a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid having met all Standards for Charity Accountability, a 4 star rating from Charity Navigator, and we are a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity. Thank you for trusting us with your charitable gifts; we hold ourselves to the highest standards to serve our donors and clients.

Finally, many of you share our deep concern about the recent changes in child welfare legislation that have left our most vulnerable children at increased risk for abuse and neglect. If you are wondering how you can have an impact on this issue, a good first step is to understand as much as you can about the forces at hand. That's why we've included some information later in this newsletter. And, if you or someone you know is interested in joining Casa de Esperanza as a caregiver, you'll find information about those opportunities too.

I always welcome your emails to me with any questions you have or to schedule a visit. Wishing you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving and holiday season.

Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy this great day, volunteer and help us raise vital funds for our mission. Our gratitude goes out to our sponsors, judges, in-kind vendors and raffle donors as well!