Our Story

Hope for Kids Geauga is a 501(C)(3)  non-profit organization that raises funds to bring hope back into the lives of children.  The volunteer board cares passionately about meeting the needs of children and youth whose lives have been disrupted due to family issues of addiction, mental health, domestic violence and/or sexual abuse; circumstances beyond their control. The devastating and long term effects impact children emotionally, socially, developmentally and academically. Your donation helps reduce the stress, chaos and trauma to abused, neglected and at-risk children by funding enrichment, educational and developmental activities.

Children who experience abuse and/or neglect are at much higher risk for poor academic achievement, mental health disorders, drug abuse and criminal activities. Since 2012 the opiate/heroin epidemic has caused an increase in child abuse and/or neglect cases and at-risk children served by social service agencies.

Hope for Kids Geauga is the result of an expansion of Friends of CASA for Kids. FoCASA was established in 2001 to support the needs of abused / neglected children involved with the Geauga County Juvenile Court.  The FoCASA board became aware of many other children / youth experiencing trauma due to family issues, who were not involved with the juvenile court. Therefore, in January 2017, the decision was made to expand the organization’s mission and change the name to Hope for Kids Geauga. 

Our goal is to improve children and youth’s self-esteem, self-confidence, academics and development by providing positive experiences and goods that can make a life-long difference. These may include:

  • Summer camps, sports fees and uniforms, YMCA memberships, art, music, horseback riding classes, etc.
  • Educational opportunities such as: tutoring, class trips, summer classes, computer programs, and other extracurricular activities.
  • Personal care needs such as braces or other dental necessities
  • Nutritional needs, such as meals over school breaks
  • and many, many more!

Hope for Kids has formal agreements with several agencies to fund the needs of abused and/or neglected children, which includes children involved in Geauga Juvenile Court (served by the CASA for KIDS program) and children identified as at-risk and served by Geauga County agencies. As these agencies do not have funds for enrichment activities, they are grateful for the donations from Hope for Kids Geauga.

2021 Giving

In 2022 Hope for Kids Geauga donated $54,867 to help children and youth in Geauga County by providing them with activities and positive experiences such as summer camps, art lessons, music lesson and instruments, athletics, school trips, gymnastics, cooking classes, braces, tutoring, school activities and much more. The board believes strongly in research that shows that when kids are able to be active, they gain skills, habits, connections and knowledge to help them gain self-esteem and resilience and reduces the likelihood that they will engage in risky behavior and helps to boost academic performance and instills skills and values that matter most for upward mobility. Hope for kids Geauga was able to assist in helping 1,042 children in 2022, providing activities and experiences for those kids who come from broken homes, families who struggle financially and kids whose lives were disrupted to due to abuse, neglect or are at risk due to other circumstances, such as mental health, drug addiction or domestic violence.

WITH MORE FUNDS WE CAN EXPAND OUR REACH!