The holidays are a magical time of year filled with joy as friends and loved ones gather to celebrate. Sadly, for many of the families served by the Child Advocacy Center, the joy of the season is overshadowed by the emotional and financial toll of child abuse.
Here are three examples: A mother and three children are struggling financially because the father was incarcerated for sexually abusing the oldest daughter and they no longer have his income to buy presents.
A mother moved out of her home because her husband was physically abusing her and sexually abusing her son. The mom cannot afford Christmas gifts and she is afraid her children will stop believing in the magic of Christmas.
Two young parents were using drugs and neglecting their two little children. Department of Children’s Services removed the children from the home and gave custody to their grandparents. The grandparents are retired, on a fixed income, and cannot afford to buy Christmas gifts for their grandchildren who still believe in Santa.
The Child Advocacy Center serves many child abuse victims whose families are struggling through the holidays. Family Services Coordinator Jennifer Gamble said, “I think it is a privilege to work for the Child Advocacy Center and help connect those who want to help with those that truly need help. It is the true meaning of Christmas.”
There are three ways that you can get involved this holiday season:
- Sponsor an individual family with holiday gifts for the family and gift cards for food.
- Sponsor an individual family with a Visa, Wal-Mart, Dollar General, or grocery store gift cards.
- Sponsor the Child Advocacy Center through a special holiday offering or in-kind contribution.
The Child Advocacy Center is a 501c3 non-profit agency and all contributions to the Secret Santa program are tax deductible.
If you are interested in helping a needy family this Christmas, please call Jennifer Gamble, Tara Davis, or Anahi Castillo at the Child Advocacy Center (615) 867-9000, or email jgamble@cacrutherford.org.
