Promoting foster care awareness
Editor: Every May we recognize Foster Care Awareness Month, and each year, thousands of children in California enter the foster care system, through no fault of their own.
Year after year, we rally to raise awareness of the plight of foster children and the need to support them. Our work sometimes feels like an uphill battle, yet we are energized when we hear stories about a teen who has graduated from high school, a child who has been adopted and has a new “forever family,” or about a child who is able to reunite with his or her parents.
These successes happen when caring adults are in the child’s life, a supportive team that often includes a Court Appointed Special Advocate, or CASA, volunteer. The Child Abuse Prevention Council and the network of California CASA programs train members of our community to become CASA volunteers. We then match them with a foster child, and the advocate works with other members of the “team” — the child’s social worker, teacher, therapist — to determine resources needed and ensure they are secured. We ask our community: Don’t let this Foster Care Awareness Month go unnoticed. Volunteer, refer friends, or make a donation to help us serve more foster youth. ANDREA HAGGERTY Haggerty Construction
Don’t force beliefs on me
Editor: The headlines continue to be on ex-FBI Director Comey and Democrat attempts to redo the last presidential election.
Do not become distracted. The Muslim Brotherhood is still on the march. These are clever people. Continue to watch for Valerie Jarrett and Susan Rice. What are they up to?
I cannot believe that women of Lodi would accept the degradation of Sharia Law. Nor would/should the men of Lodi go along with the exploitation of women. Pay attention folks.
There are people trying to subvert this country. They are succeeding in Europe. We are next. Believe in our Founding Fathers. Those were smart folks. Understand what made this country great. We can reverse the evils of Obama.
If you want Sharia Law, go somewhere that it is practiced. Don’t expect me to convert to your misguided ideals. We can either demand freedom or lose it to those who wish us harm. JERRY OSGOOD Galt
Letters invited
The Lodi News-Sentinel welcomes opinions from its readers. Letters must be signed and include the writer’s address and phone number for internal verification purposes. All letters are subject to editing. Letters from local readers dealing with local issues are given priority. Letters from outside the local area are published at the editor’s discretion. Letters longer than 350 words will be cut to fit or returned to their writers. There is a holding period of 30 days between publication of letters by the same person unless no other letters are queued. Send letters to P.O. Box 1360, Lodi, CA 95241-1360; or email to letters@lodinews.com.