R S V P / ORANGE COUNTY : Birthday Wishes Come True for Casita de San Jose Homes

Casita de San Jose threw itself a birthday party complete with cake and balloons Saturday when the organization for abused children celebrated its fifth anniversary.

About 200 people attended the dinner-dance and silent auction at the Irvine Marriott. The $65-per-person gala raised about $20,000 for Casita, which operates four homes for abused children in Orange County.

Birthday Bash

Event organizers chose “Let’s Celebrate” as the party motto, and to carry it off they filled the hotel salon with rainbow-colored balloons.

“We wanted to keep it light,” said Susie Winocur, event co-chairwoman. “We did it with the bright colors and the festiveness.”

At each table large bouquets of balloons were anchored by bottles of champagne. There, guests enjoyed a dinner of fresh swordfish, New York steaks, scalloped potatoes, Caesar salad and a chocolate raspberry torte dessert.

The mood at the party may have been light, but Casita’s mission has always been serious.

“It was five years ago, almost to the day, that we received our first children,” said Patty Juneau, event chairwoman. Since then, Casita has provided long-term shelter and counseling for 50 children. Children stay in the homes six months to three years. Some return to their parents; others are adopted, enter foster homes or are moved to other agencies.

“So many of us wanted to do some type of volunteer work to help abused children,” Juneau said. “Child abuse affects everybody.”

John Owen, president of the board, who attended with his wife, Mary, had a birthday wish for Casita: “I hope that one day we’re not needed anymore.”

Home of Their Own

Sister Marie Jeannette Ansberry, Casita executive director, founded the first home in Santa Ana.

“When I was in San Diego in the 1970s, I met an abused child for the first time,” Ansberry said. “That was my introduction. From then on, I wanted to do something about child abuse.”

After serving for two years as an intern at Casa de los Ninos in Tucson, a home for abused children, she decided to form Casita. There are now three group homes in Santa Ana and one in Orange that house six children each.

“Our homes are noted for their love and nurturing among social workers and school principals,” Ansberry said.

Among the guests were Marge Andren; Steve and Judi Buffington; Alma Calhoun, Casita’s clinical psychologist; John and Joan Dieball; Meigan Everts; Charlotte Hill; Holly Johnston; Phil O’Brian; David Radlinski; Linda Thomas-Jones, and Valerie Thomas.