A boy named Elijah, now seven years old, was the featured guest at last month's Light of Hope CASA breakfast in Woodland Park, giving attendees a tangible example of what the organization's work can achieve. For the first two years of his life, Elijah had been strapped into a car seat inside the vehicle where his parents were living. At the breakfast, he showed no sign of that early hardship: he jumped up on stage and called out a greeting to the room.
Once authorities found the family living in the vehicle, the boy entered foster care through El Paso County's social services system. He cycled through three placements over three years before a permanent family came through adoption. He has lived with the Estradas since he was five.
Angela Rose, executive director of CASA of the Pikes Peak region, spoke to the cumulative damage that multiple moves can cause. "When they picked him up from the last foster home, he was dirty, had sores all over and dirty diapers," she said. She was direct about the lasting effects of early trauma. "The truth is that the trauma never goes away, can be triggered from time to time," Rose said, adding that a sustained, secure environment is what gradually improves outcomes. She also offered a note of optimism about Elijah specifically. "They are an amazing family; it takes time to build trust with him," she said, expressing her belief that he now feels safe and settled in a permanent home.
One figure remained constant throughout the uncertainty of Elijah's years in the foster system. A CASA volunteer advocate stood beside him in court and helped shepherd him through each transition, including his move to the Estrada household. That advocate was a continuous presence across five years of Elijah's journey, providing a measure of stability that carried him forward. Her background as a professional linguist also proved useful, giving her the tools to help the boy strengthen his language skills. Elijah's adoptive mother spoke to the volunteer's indispensable role. Amanda Estrada addressed the breakfast crowd and described the advocate as "the glue that held everything together."
Rose said the results speak for themselves. "Elijah is in school and in sports and is doing really well," she said.
Attendees at the fundraising breakfast collectively gave $42,000 to support CASA programs. In Teller County, CASA maintains a local presence through a program manager based in Woodland Park. Rose said the size and spirit of the crowd moved her. "It was so humbling to me to look out from the stage and see all those people who came together on behalf of CASA," she said.
How the funds raised at the breakfast will be distributed across CASA's Pikes Peak region programs has not yet been announced.