The November meeting of the Blanco Child Protection & Family Advocacy Board was held on Monday, Nov. 12th this month. Diane Beagle, Laurie Williams, Brenda Adair, Bill Swiss, Wendy Smith, Sandy Mann, Mary Frances Madison, Margie Vasquez and Suzette Connell represented the nine Board members attending. Dorinda Duzan, Conservatorship Supervisor, along with caseworker, Teresa Greenburg, who represented the CPS staff.

Certificates of Appreciation from the Child Welfare Board in Burnet were handed out to those Board members not able to attend the Appreciation Dinner held for Blanco, Llano and Burnet County Boards earlier on November 5th.

At the dinner, the various Board members were able to view the new Rainbow Room in Burnet. This Rainbow Room is sponsored by all the Boards listed and assists caseworkers in providing removed children with emergency clothes, basic school supplies, etc. until money can be provided for them.

Discussions were held regarding a family in Johnson City who has an adopted child in the hospital. Chairman, Diane Beagle spoke to Johnson City Bank Sr. Vice Pres., Shannon Sultemeier, regarding a Visa Card for the family to help with fuel and various needs while the child was hospitalized. Mr. Sultemeier was extremely helpful along with matching the amount from the Board. Thus, this family was given a Visa Card from the Board as well as one from Johnson City Bank. What a wonderful community we live in where we all join in to help those in need. Our prayers go out to the family.

A check for $1000.00 from The Lions Club, along with a $2000.00 check from The H.O.M.E Church were presented to the Board’s treasurer, Margie Vasquez. These generous donations will help support some of the various projects that the Board takes on each year. All projects are to help children who have been removed from their homes and are in conservatorship as well as the needy children of Blanco County. Purchasing winter coats for children in need is one of the many projects the Board is working on this month.

A Christmas wish list for each child in conservatorship is filled out by the child aided by the foster parent as well as the caseworker and then submitted to the Board. Our second year designated Christmas shopper, Brenda Adair, begins her quest to fill the children’s wishes with an allotted amount previously decided upon. The Board will have a casual meeting on Dec. 4th at Co-chairman Bills Swiss’s home to wrap presents for all the children in conservatorship. We hope to make the Christmas Holidays more enjoyable for the children who are in conservatorship as well as continue to help those in need here in Blanco County.