CASA Prepares to Deliver Food Baskets to Families in Need
Every year on January 6th the Coronado Area Social Association (CASA) celebrates Three Kings Day with special needs children and their families. Three Kings Day, or in Spanish, Dia de los Reyes, is celebrated in many parts of the world. On the Christian calendar it marks the date the three kings brought gifts to baby Jesus. For many living in Panama, it is customary to give a gift on this day. For the past 6 years, Senora Maribel Gonzales has welcomed eighty families with special needs children into her home to celebrate the occasion. Guests enjoy lunch and dessert, and children receive gifts donated by a local church. Each year, CASA provides a food basket for each family. Last year 80 families took home a basket, and children wore decorated paper crowns and received photos of them taken that day. The baskets, containing dry foods such as flour, sugar, pasta, beans and other canned items, cost about $25 each. Fundraising events are hosted annually to raise the money to buy food items.
Over the past 4 years, CASA president Louise Belisle has hosted a variety of fundraising events, ranging from craft fairs to benefit dances, in an effort to raise money. This year the expat band Poco Loco came out of retirement to help, playing a benefit November 1 at Picasso’s Halloween Extravaganza.
Support from local businesses has also been essential to providing the baskets. Mailbox Etc. Coronado donates cloth bags for the food items, and HIM Hardware by supplying food. Many contributions also come from the community.
CASA members, who volunteer their time to assemble and deliver the baskets, are at the heart of the operation. Once sufficient money is collected, the food items are bought and then stored. This year La Teca Restaurant has donated storage space. CASA members will deliver 80 baskets on January 6th the day, is sure to be a joyful one for everyone involved.
If you would like to provide a basket to a family, or learn more about CASA and their involvement in the community contact: casa2008p@gmail.com or call 6501-5423.
It is requested that all donations be made in cash, as CASA prefers the contents of each basket remain uniform.
The Coronado Social Association is a not-for-profit social organization with a goal of connecting people and creating a platform for the community to share ideas. CASA membership is open to everyone in, and beyond the Coronado area. Annual dues are $10 per person.
