Supporting children in need: Tulsa CASA collects Squishmallows for toy drive

Volunteers with Tulsa CASA help children in the foster care system who have to testify in court. For the month of March, the organization is collecting Squishmallows, a stuffed animal, for these kids.

The Mission of Tulsa CASA: Advocacy for Children in State Custody

A Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer, or CASA, help children in foster care. They help provide comfort to these kids during difficult situations, like testifying in court.

Out of the 1,600 children who went through the court system in Tulsa County last year, volunteers with CASA helped 247 of them. 

"I would like to serve all the children, until we can serve all the children, at least we can give them some comfort,” Elizabeth Fisher, executive director, said.

Squishmallows: A Symbol of Comfort

To make testifying less scary, each child gets to pick out a Squishmallow or another toy before taking the stand. The organization started the Squishmallow drive last year to help other children and decided to do it again this year.

"Behind the judges, behind their bench, there is a bunch of cubbies and in those cubbies are toys so watching the kids go up and picking a Squishmallow, the judges were so excited, in fact they asked us to do it again this year because it does provide a lot of comfort in a scary situation,” Fisher said. “Going to court is scary for adults; going to court for children who have already endured so much trauma in their lives, is even more scary."

Tulsa CASA volunteer, Camdyn Ellis, noticed the impact the stuffed animal had on a child she helps while she was on the stand. She’s volunteered with CASA for five years and hopes others will join to make a difference in the lives of these children.

“I think it's really important to help these kids navigate through life because they are going through experiences that most adults have never gone through in their entire lives,” Ellis said. “They have been through years’ worth of trauma, an entire lifetime worth of trauma in 10,11,12 years of their life."

How You Can Get Involved

If you would like to donate, you can drop off the Squishmallows at Tulsa CASA’s office downtown.

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