Harvey E. Najim Donates $1M towards CASA's Capital Campaign
With an 18% rise in cases of child abuse and neglect in Bexar County, Harvey E. Najim Commits $1,000,000 to Child Advocates San Antonio - Largest Gift in CASA’s History
San Antonio, TX--March 29, 2021 –As child abuse and neglect numbers rose 18% in 2020 compared to 2019 in Bexar County, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) is excited to announce that CASA has received a commitment for its largest ever single financial gift. Mr. Harvey E. Najim, whose name is synonymous with generous philanthropic giving and his heart for children, has committed a $1 million gift toward the purchase of CASA’s new headquarters located at 1956 S. WW White Road, on the far East side. The new building will be named after Mr. Najim. The announcement comes in conjunction with the start of April's National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to bring awareness to our community’s concerning statistics.
“Mr. Najim truly cares about the children in our community. Harvey’s reputation, as a deeply compassionate man who seriously wants to improve the lives of children, meant that the Najim name was the one we wanted for the CASA home. Mr. Najim has supported CASA operationally for many years. The Board and team are simply delighted that he has chosen to partner with us in this endeavor. The building ensures we have room to grow, and ultimately give all children in Bexar County foster care the opportunity to have a dedicated and caring Advocate to amplify their voices and walk beside them,” said Angela White, President and CEO of CASA. “This gift is transformational for CASA. I personally know how important it is for a child to have someone who listens and believes in them, as our CASA Advocates do. It can change their lives forever. Mr. Najim’s support puts us another huge stride down the path to achieving the goal of serving all the children who need us. We cannot thank him enough.”
Founded in 1984, CASA works to recruit, train, and support volunteer Advocates for children in foster care who have experienced abuse and neglect. Last year 5,499 children in Bexar County were removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect. At the Courts request, nearly 2,000 of those traumatized and lonely children were connected with a Volunteer Advocate, recruited, trained, and supported by CASA.
As CASA served more children, the organization had completely outgrown their previous San Pedro location. Formally a Holt Texas LLC training building, is now the new 22,382 square foot CASA headquarters. Holt Texas LLC has made the transition possible with a reduction in the building price, gifting furniture and technology, and a generous lease-to-purchase partnership. CASA moved into the office in September 2019.
"As a longtime supporter of CASA, their new headquarter building will accommodate the growth and expansion of CASA to meet the needs of 100% of the children in foster care in our community. CASA ensures each foster child has an advocate to be a mentor and amplify their voices in the court system. I am proud to support this wonderful agency" said Harvey E. Najim, President of the Najim Charitable Foundation.
The increased space includes enough office and training space to accommodate future growth. The building and grounds provide space for Volunteer Advocates to bring their CASA kids and spend time with them in a safe and secure environment. A library and dedicated indoor spaces for art programs are being created. The space will also allow for community events and for wider and continued collaboration with other local child welfare and community agencies. To finalize the procurement of the building to be able to serve more children, CASA has $420,000 left to raise.
CASA’s goal is to serve every foster child in Bexar County, to stand for them, amplify their voices, and walk beside them through a traumatic and lonely time. If you are interested in supporting vulnerable children and helping CASA finish our Campaign, please contact President & CEO Angela White at awhite@casa-satx.org or VP of Development Blair Ortmann at bortmann@casa-satx.org.
About Child Advocates San Antonio
The mission of Child Advocates San Antonio (CASA) is to recruit, train, and supervise court-appointed volunteer Advocates who provide constancy for abused and neglected children and youth while advocating for services and placement in safe and permanent homes. In FY2020, 751 CASA volunteers advocated on behalf of 1,883 children in foster care.
Link to Photos of CASA's New Building
At CASA, our goal is to serve 100% of the children and families in need experiencing foster care and strong community partnerships help make that possible.
In March 2025, Child Protective Services removed four young children, just 7, 4, 2, and 3 months old, from their mother’s care. This difficult step followed ongoing concerns about neglect, largely connected to the mother’s struggle with substance use, even during her most recent pregnancy. Although CPS offered support through Family Based Safety Services, the mother was unable to engage in the help provided. The children’s father was also unable to support them due to his own substance abuse and his incarceration in Bexar County Jail. Before removal, the children’s basic medical and educational needs were going unmet. They had been moved repeatedly between their mother and other relatives, leaving them without the stability, routine, and nurturing supervision every child deserves. When CASA Staff Advocate, JoAnn Herring, was assigned the case in April 2025, she immediately reached out to both kinship caregivers to understand the children’s needs and how to best support the families stepping in to care for them. JoAnn quickly learned that the paternal grandmother, who lovingly took in some of the children, was struggling financially and facing barriers due to limited English proficiency. To ensure she wasn’t facing these challenges alone, JoAnn submitted a CFE (Collaborative Family Engagement) referral and personally provided translation support so the grandmother could access services with dignity and understanding. Throughout the case, JoAnn has witnessed moments where cultural sensitivity was lacking, and personal biases influenced important decisions; often at the expense of what was best for the children. Despite these obstacles, she continues to advocate steadfastly and compassionately for the children to remain with the kinship caregivers who have opened their homes and hearts to provide safety, consistency, and love. Although the case is not yet over, Joann’s story demonstrates that CASA’s advocacy reaches beyond the children themselves, strengthening the village of care and support surrounding them, because CASA wants children to be safe, to thrive, and to have their overall well-being protected.
