Holiday activities are in full swing at Casa de Esperanza. As visitors arrive, donations come in, and gifts are distributed it is a busy, busy time here. But the busy-ness of this season is evidence of the community supporting and loving our kids. Thank you all for your generosity and care.

Children come to Casa de Esperanza in great need and, for some, this will be the first time they will experience the joy of Christmas morning. The families participating in our programs face challenges that many of us could not imagine: chronic under- and unemployment, the threat of eviction and homelessness, and food insecurity. Thanks to your generosity, our children and families will have love, enough to eat, clothing, gifts and holiday joy this year.

2022 marked Casa de Esperanza's 40th Birthday. It was a year of celebration, reflection, and reconnection with friends far and wide. As the year comes to a close, we honor Governing Board members Marsha Dodson, Marilyn Wilking, and Ed Smith as they move to a place of distinction as Emeritus Board members. Each has committed decades of service and support to Casa de Esperanza, and we can't thank them enough for their continued friendship. We also say a very fond farewell to Ronnie Koehn. As Casa de Esperanza's Staff Psychologist, Ronnie has worked with every child and family Casa has served for the past 38 years. He has contributed countless hours of guidance to staff, trained foster parents, and provided unending help to our adoptive families. We wish Ronnie all good things as he enters into his much-deserved retirement.

On behalf of everyone at Casa de Esperanza, I wish you a joyous holiday season and a Happy, Healthy New Year!