To help provide CASA children with opportunities to develop life skills and foster healthy lifestyles, we are dedicating part of our office space to create a safe, comfortable family room and kitchen where CASA volunteers will help children learn to cook and bake; do arts and crafts; play games or watch movies; read or do homework. For many of the children in our program, these everyday activities have not been a normal part of their upbringing; creating a special place that offers these experiences is an essential investment in their well-being.

Donations received for the project include flooring, plumbing fixtures, tile, hardware, discounted cabinetry, discounted appliances, discounted countertops, labor and installation. To cover some of the costs, cash donations were received from two anonymous donors as well as from proceeds of the Rio Grill's 27th anniversary benefit event.

Completed in April 2011, we are immeasurably grateful to the following craftsmen and providers for making this project possible: Kitchen Studio of Monterey Peninsula, Inc.; Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery; Built-in Distributors; Elmwood Kitchens; Lumber Liquidators; Riva Marble & Granite; The Tile Studio; Del Rey Supply; Cardinale Moving & Storage; Mitchell Construction & Home Repair; Jay's Handyman Services; Della-Mora Plumbing; and David Chinn.

We are especially grateful to Jillian Clark at Kitchen Studio for donating her time and expertise to the project.