Art & Soul: Artistic Expression for Kids in Foster Care
Last Friday we coordinated with local artist
Gio Dizurita and our Volunteer Advocates to host this year's Art & Soul event for our CASA kids. This initiative focuses on offering an environment of free expression for CASA youth who may not have access to art supplies during their time in Foster Care.
There were no restrictions on what they could create, and Gio demonstrated and encouraged the children to use different techniques and tools such as sticks, brushes, water, and their hands.
Guest Artist: Gio Dizurita
Gio is a local visual artist who helped host our 2018 Art & Soul event at her gallery, where she created one large collaborative painting with the kids. This year her art shows have kept her very busy, but we were very happy when she agreed to make time and volunteer with CASA again.
Gio's very open approach to artistic expression formed a unique environment for these children to feel both confident and courageous about what they could create. There were no wrong answers or methods, and you could see the positive impact this had as the kids quickly broke out of their shells, eager to get their hands dirty to create multiple pieces of art.
Moments from Art & Soul
It was such a joy to see so much artistic talent demonstrated! We are keeping the final masterpieces private for now as the kids have graciously donated some of their work to display at our upcoming Gallery of Hope event this October! You can visit our events
page to save your spot so you don't miss seeing these creations as well as the photo unveiling of children impacted by CASA who have found permanent homes this last year.
In the meantime, please enjoy these captured moments.
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Interested in continuing our mission to provide more unique experiences for our youth in Foster Care? You can Donate to our cause or learn how you can
become a CASA Volunteer today!
A Message from Child Advocates San Antonio on National CASA/GAL Funding Termination On April 24, 2025, the National CASA/GAL Association announced that its federal funding through the U.S. Department of Justice has been terminated. As a result, National CASA is suspending subaward disbursements, training programs, and technical assistance. The organization is actively appealing the decision and assessing what services it can continue to provide during this transition. Info from National CASA can be found here. We understand that this announcement may raise concerns in the community, and we want to provide reassurance and clarity regarding how this news affects Child Advocates San Antonio. First and foremost: There is no impact to our organization or our services. We are fully operational and remain committed to serving the children and families in our community with the same excellence, integrity, compassion, and commitment we have always shown. Here are key facts we want our supporters and the public to know: Our funding remains secure. Child Advocates San Antonio has a diverse and stable funding base that includes a healthy mix of public and private funding. No one funding stream exceeds 50% of our budget. You can access our recent financials HERE. Our stability comes from strong state support and our dedicated Bexar County community, which keeps Child Advocates San Antonio resilient and focused on serving children. We do not receive subawards from National CASA. The suspension of subaward disbursements has no bearing on our funding or ability to operate. Our training programs continue without interruption. Our comprehensive and high-quality Advocate training programs are fully intact. We do not require technical assistance from National CASA. Our team is experienced, well-resourced, and prepared to continue all programming. No cuts, no hiring freezes, no changes to our operations. We remain fully staffed and actively engaged in our mission to advocate for children in foster care. Our commitment to advocating for children in foster care is unwavering, and our services continue as usual. We want to be clear: Child Advocates San Antonio is strong, stable, and here to stay. CASA programs in Texas are strong, independent, and fully committed to children in foster care. While we’re aware of the situation with National CASA/GAL, it doesn’t impact the critical advocacy happening here. Our commitment is clear: we will stand with the children we serve—until they are safe, their voices are heard, and their futures are secure. Our focus, as always, is on advocating for the best interests of children and ensuring they have a voice in court. Public support at all levels, including individuals, ensures we remain strong, regardless of national developments. No matter what, our mission stays the same – every child deserves to be safe, cared for, and have their voice heard. CASA’s mission is as important as ever— children in foster care need advocates who will stand by them. Start your Advocate Journey today!
Brittany Coppage
