Imagine passing a park and seeing dozens of children playing. They are swinging, running and laughing together. Now imagine each kid’s face as they return to a home where no one is waiting for them or wondering how their day was. In Lubbock, that’s the quiet truth for hundreds of children in the local foster care system.
For the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of the South Plains, this reality is why their mission is to be a voice for the voiceless. Within the organization, the advocates work to make those unseen children feel like someone in the world cares about their day.
When Stacy Kelly heard Jaclyn Morris, the CEO of CASA, describe how advocates can change lives, she felt a calling in her heart.
“She [Morris] shared with me the mission and what CASA does, and her passion was contagious. I knew I had to be a part of it because there are literally hundreds of children who do not have a CASA advocating for them, so I wanted to be a part of accomplishing that,” said Kelley.
That was over three and a half years ago. Kelley has worked as the marketing and development director for CASA since, where she has been using that passion to grow the resources available to the organization. But Kelley is not alone in her dedication; others, like Lenora Ask, have been drawn to CASA’s undertaking.
Ask, a principal architect at Chapman Harvey Architects and part-time professor at Texas Tech Huckabee College of Architecture, served as an advocate for CASA for several years. That’s why when she was approached by a CASA coordinator to assist with an upcoming fundraiser, Ask’s answer was unequivocal.
The fundraiser in question, “Casas for CASA”, has been alive for over 15 years. Kelley explained that people from all over the community come together. Local students, businesses and organizations sponsor or design and build playhouses and doghouses to be donated to CASA, which are then raffled off through a ticket system.
Source: CASA of the South Plain’s Facebook.
“Every single dollar goes directly to helping children in foster care in the South Plains. We serve children in six counties, and it enables us to serve more children in our area,” said Kelley.
Although this fundraiser was not initially in Ask’s semester plans, she embraced the opportunity wholeheartedly, integrating it into her studio curriculum. She crafted a one-week design assignment and handed it to her studio on the first day of the semester.
When she asked the other fourth-year professors if their studio would like to join hers, Peter Raab; associate professor and licensed architect, decided he wanted his studio in on it too.
The outline of the assignment was simple – create a playhouse or doghouse that embodied three things: innovation, marketability and buildability. The two studios, comprised of nearly 30 students, took the week to craft unique designs while keeping in mind the concept of the assignment.
While the design for “Casas for CASA” is yet to be chosen, some are already seeing the impact it holds.
President of the Texas Tech American Institute of Architecture Students (AIS) chapter and student in Raab’s studio, Jose Gutierrez, explained how this assignment had everyone engaged.
“I was impressed by how willing myself and my peers were to really use what we’ve been learning for the past four years for something that has a direct impact on the local community,” said Gutierrez.
As a long-time Lubbock resident, Gutierrez has watched neighbors helping neighbors throughout his life.
“Although we could be considered a larger city, we’re still a very tight-knit community; we’re kind of isolated here in the Panhandle, so I like to think we try to take care of each other and that we foster the community as much as we can,” said Gutierrez.
Gutierrez heard of CASA for the first time when given the one-week design assignment. The organization’s mission struck him, feeling the studios were making a difference.
“The most impactful moment was when we were all in one room and everyone’s designs were pinned up and they were just all so wonderful. Knowing that each of these designs could go towards helping a member of our community was just fantastic,” said Gutierrez.
The community was also on Ask’s mind when agreeing to this project. She described her time at CASA as “pretty intense” due to the situations she dealt with, so she wanted to make sure this lesson would teach her students that architecture and the environment people are in hold significance.
“How can we as architects provide designs that can enhance healing? You know, we can’t solve the world’s problems, but there are decisions we can make to make our piece of the world better,” said Ask.
One common theme was reflected among all those involved in this project – bettering the community. But what’s the importance of students joining this effort?
Kelley said it best, “It’s the youth helping the youth in our community and we’re building volunteerism, we’re building philanthropy. We’re encouraging the community to learn more about what’s actually going on in their community.”
Kelley is hopeful the studio’s involvement will foster a network of continued support from the community and open a door for younger generations to get connected with CASA.
“These playhouses and the money we raise, it’s huge. It enables us to be able to get more volunteers so that we can serve more children and being able to bring that whole heart to the students at Tech; that’s tenfold,” said Kelley.
This project is still underway and TTU architecture may end up only having one playhouse sponsored for “Casas for CASA” – but the impact is widespread. In 2023, CASA raised over $55,000 during this fundraiser which went directly to recruiting, training and supporting CASA advocates, according to CASA of the South Plains.
The better “Casas for CASA” does, the more local children gain someone in their corner. Kelley said for five dollars a ticket, you could win a playhouse, doghouse, or even their top prize, a $3500 MasterCard. The true gift, however, is a foster kid knowing someone cares about their day.
“A lot of people don’t know that foster children need a CASA advocate and it’s imperative that they have one. Right now, there are more than 500 children who do not have a CASA and are waiting on a CASA,” said Kelley.
If you want to attend this year’s “Casas for CASA”, you can find Ask and Kelley showcasing the houses at the Market Street parking lot at 98th and Quaker, April 12 through May 14.