Abuse Center Basks in Glow of ‘Point of Light’

Dan Shea thinks President George Bush is an absolute master of timing.

Things aren’t exactly rosy these days at Casa de Amparo, the Oceanside center for abused children of which Shea is president. Each year the group reluctantly turns away more than 1,000 needy local children simply for lack of space.

Just when Shea and his staff were starting a fund campaign to help finance a $10-million, 110-bed facility in San Marcos, the White House did them just about the biggest favor they could have asked for.

On Thursday, President Bush singled out the 13-year-old nonprofit organization--and its hundreds of volunteer workers--for recognition as one of his much-popularized “Daily Point of Light” award.

News of the award, given six days each week to call attention to community service groups who address pressing social problems, struck Shea like a bolt of recognition.

“I was just flabbergasted,” Shea said about hearing of the award. “When we were nominated, we were told that the chances of actually winning something like this were one in a million. And then the call came.

“It just gives us a new credibility. Now maybe more people will know who we are and may decide to get involved in our cause.”

Officials said the center was nominated for the award--the 608th given by the Bush Administration as an offshoot of the President’s image of Americans as a thousand points of light--by state Assemblyman Robert Frazee (R-Carlsbad).

“I’m just impressed by what they do,” Frazee said Thursday after the announcement. “It’s the kind of service they provide. They take kids in and give them loving care. There’s just too few facilities that do that kind of thing.”

Shea said the group was formed in 1978 by two women who were concerned about the number of abused, sexually molested children in their community.

“So they rented a space, furnished a few beds and went from there,” he said. “But there was such a need, things just took off.”

Today, Casa de Amparo, which in Spanish means “House of Refuge,” accommodates more than 600 children a year in its programs, including a children’s unit where arts and crafts and journal writing are taught.

There’s also a teen unit where volunteers encourage girls aged 13 to 18 to take field trips and participate in aerobics and cooking classes.

“We try to teach these girls self-esteem,” Shea said. “We have a volunteer come in and give them etiquette training, things about how to set a table, if they ever go to a new family.”

At the center, known simply as “Casa” by its 60 staff members and more than 220 volunteers, the teen-age girls are also encouraged to volunteer at a local facility for patients with mental disabilities.

The counseling, Shea said, pays off in dividends.

“When they come to us from their broken and battered homes, some of our girls are so depressed they can only stare at the ground, they won’t talk,” he said. “That’s before they go to work with the mentally disabled children, teaching them to ride horses.

“It doesn’t take long before they find out they’re not the only ones with problems. They see other kids struggling like they are, and that they can reach out and help someone. Some of these girls come back to the center after such a day of volunteering and are absolutely animated. It’s unbelievable.”

Miah Homstad, a spokesman for the White House National Services staff, said they were struck by the aspect of the program at Casa de Amparo that encourages troubled teen-agers to do volunteer work as part of their own therapy.

“It’s kids working one-on-one with other kids--that’s what impressed us,” she said. “And this group isn’t just comprised of staff people. There are so many people in the community who are so impressed by what they’re doing that they also volunteer for the cause.”

The President’s “Point of Light” announcement will come in handy for their plans to publicize the proposed new center, Casa officials said.

Padre baseball player Tony Gwinn has already sponsored a golf tournament for the cause. And there’s a new Christmas album coming out, the proceeds of which will also help, Shea said.

That’s a lot of high-profile activity for a group that, considering its mission of helping victimized children, has chosen to keep a decidedly low profile.

“Well, you have to decide if you want to sit back and be low-profile or you can take the lead and get out there to do what it takes to build a new facility,” Shea said.

“We want that center. And I think the President today helped us take one step closer to achieving it.”