Thursday, April 25, 2024
The Rainbow Room helps children and families that have an open case with Child Protective Services.
You can help the Rainbow Room through a fundraiser Thursday known as Heroes with Handbags.
The designer purse bingo event is a benefit for both the Rainbow Room of Hood & Somervell County and the Paluxy River Children’s Advocacy Center.
RAINBOW ROOM HELPS CPS
“A lot of people aren’t familiar with the Rainbow Room because it doesn’t provide a service for the general public,” said spokeswoman Brigitte Eichler.
Instead, the Rainbow Room provides assistance to caseworkers with Child Protective Services who may be working with families living in horrible conditions, Eichler said.
“Children may be sleeping on the floor, or sharing a mattress if they are lucky,” she explained.
Investigations Supervisor II Michelle Gilley noted there may be dangerous drugs or an unsanitary environment when a child is removed from a home.
“The household items belonging to the child are not able to go to the foster home with them due to the possible contamination from drugs,” Gilley said.
With help from the Rainbow Room, children can go into foster homes with new possessions to call their own.
“The Rainbow Room supplies clothing of all sizes, diapers, wipes, hygiene items, food, toys and blankets,” Gilley said.
But it is not limited to just those items.
“Oftentimes newborns and infants are removed from their homes and the investigators do not have formula for the babies. The Rainbow Room will purchase these necessary items,” Gilley added.
When a child is able to stay in the home, the Rainbow Room can provide household items such as cleaning supplies, toiletries and clothing when needed.
The nonprofit agency can provide a bed for children who need a safe and clean sleeping place of their own.
In addition, the Rainbow Room supports CPS case workers by providing meals, snacks and training.
CAC HELPS ABUSED CHILDREN
The Paluxy River Children’s Advocacy Center will also benefit from the handbags bingo event.
The PRCAC promotes the healing of child abuse victims by helping facilitate the investigations of child abuse cases, providing child abuse intervention services and on-site counseling.
Victim support and advocacy to child abuse victims and their non-offending family members is provided.
The CAC is located at 1540 Southtown Drive, Suite 1-2-103, and can be reached at 817-573-0292.
dschneider@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066, ext. 253
