HEALTH & WELLNESS CORNER
HEALTH & WELLNESS CORNER
Winterfest: A Legacy of Joy and Community Service
STANLEY D. KLETT, JR. COLEEN LACOSTA
BRUCE BLITMAN
A Promise Kept The Work of Speak Up For Kids
On any given day in dependency court, the focus is serious: safety, permanency, and protection. Years ago, one of those cases involved a young girl removed from everything she knew. Her mother struggled with addiction, and her father was incarcerated. She entered foster care carrying more confusion than belongings. Her Guardian ad Litem was Stanley Klett Sr. Stan did what he always did— he listened, he showed up, and he ensured her voice was heard. But he also understood something deeper: children in foster care don’ t just lose stability; they lose normalcy. They miss birthday parties, holidays feel different, and traditions disappear.
Stan believed that advocacy did not end at the courtroom door. For 20 years, he served as a Guardian ad Litem in Palm Beach County, speaking up for more than 100 children. His " why " was simple:“ The satisfaction of being able to help kids.”
The Stanley Klett Sr. Annual Winterfest
What began as a small effort to provide bicycles and backpacks evolved into the Stanley Klett Sr. Annual Winterfest— a holiday celebration designed to remind children that they are seen, valued, and worthy of celebration. Today, Winterfest serves approximately 500 foster children, caregivers, and families. The event features:
• Arts and crafts, music, and face painting.
• Community partners, including local fire and police.
• A special visit from Santa.
• A sense of belonging that transcends the " case " file.
Stanley Klett Sr. passed away in 2009, but his vision lives on through his son, local attorney Stanley Klett Jr., who ensures Winterfest remains a complimentary haven for children through community generosity.
Winterfest is the visible expression of what happens when courtroom advocacy meets community compassion. Speak Up For Kids, founded in 2008, ensures children in foster care are supported beyond public funding limits through several key initiatives:
Embrace Kids Provides trauma-informed therapy and specialized mental health support where cost is a barrier.
Foster Concierge Assists youth transitioning to adulthood with resumes, job searches, and housing preparation.
STUDENTS Speak Up A youth-driven initiative cultivating the next generation of advocates through service projects and podcasts.
Conclusion
For a few hours each December, the work pauses long enough for children to laugh freely. They are not " cases "; they are just kids. Somewhere in that field of music and laughter is the quiet fulfillment of one man’ s promise— that no child should ever feel forgotten.
For more information, please contact info @ speakupforkidspbc. org.
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