Children’s Law Center Annual Holiday Party

Dear Friends of Bay Area Legal Services,

On December 16, 2023, the L. David Shear Children’s Law Center (CLC) of Bay Area Legal Services welcomed 170 people to our annual Holiday Party at the Brandon Community Center. Over 20 volunteers and our CLC team celebrated the holiday season with our child clients and their families. We received a wide variety of books, including sensory books, early learner, chapter, fiction/non-fiction, coloring/drawing, and diaries, notepads, and markers for children and youth of all ages through our CLC Holiday book drive enabling each child to pick out a brand new book from our diverse collection.

The children (and Santa) enjoyed spending time with our Hillsborough County Courthouse Dogs, Barley and Lorne, finding scavenger hunt items to receive a raffle ticket for prizes, playing carnival games to include our new basketball toss, football and corn toss, large Connect 4 game, designing holiday arts and crafts items and eating a delicious lunch. Volunteer DJ, Mijail Friedman, returned for his 9th year to play holiday tunes and several children and teens mustered up the courage to sing their favorite songs for us. Friends and families posed with funny props for pictures at the Snapshoot Photobooth and took home prints of their pictures. Santa also made a special visit to greet all in attendance.

A special part of our holiday party involves siblings who do not live together but get to spend a joyous time together at our holiday party. There were also children who knew each other from a current or former school or spent time together in former foster homes or group homes and were happy to see each other again at this festive event.

This year the CLC also received popular sneakers to give away to children and youth at our party through a connection with a local business owner and Heather’s son, Stephen Tager. We also had Bags of Love available for children and teenagers donated by the Tampa First SDA Church. The Bags of Love are backpacks or large duffle bags filled with school supplies, hygiene items, blanket/pillow, and other valuable items. The CLC was fortunate to raise over $5,000 again in donations and received in-kind donations from Publix, Wright’s Gourmet House, Mr. Empanada and Winn-Dixie. Raffle winners received gift cards for Publix, Wright’s Gourmet House, Target and Walmart.

We are extremely grateful to all who donated and volunteered at our CLC annual holiday party. Your support made this event possible and brightened the holiday season for our clients and their families.

Sincerely,
Heather Tager
Managing Attorney

Make a donation to the L. David Shear Children's Law Center Annual Holiday Party!

To donate by mail, please make your check out to Bay Area Legal Services with "CLC Holiday Party" in the memo line. Send to:

Bay Area Legal Services
1302 N 19th Street
Suite 400
Tampa, FL 33605

REQUIRED NOTICES:
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (1-800-435-7352) WITHIN FLORIDA. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION # CH1969.AS A CONDITION OF THE FUNDING RECEIVED BY THE LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION (LSC), BAY AREA LEGAL SERVICES MAY NOT EXPEND ANY FUNDS FROM WHATEVER SOURCE FOR ANY ACTIVITY PROHIBITED BY THE LSC ACT OR BY PUBLIC LAW 105-119. BAY AREA LEGAL SERVICES DOES NOT UTILIZE THE SERVICES OF PROFESSIONAL SOLICITORS AND THEREFORE RECEIVES 100% OF EACH CONTRIBUTION.