"Spread the joy of the holiday season by becoming a Secret Santa for needy children," said Child Advocacy Center director Sharon De Boer. "The Child Advocacy Center is looking for holiday sponsors to make Christmas a joyous time of the year for needy kids."
The holidays can become a burden for many families served by the Child Advocacy Center. For example, a mother and her three children fled their home because their 8-year-old daughter was being sexually abused. Now her mom is now the sole provider and struggling to make ends meet. She is worried there will be no Santa this year.
"The financial impact of child abuse is often forgotten," said Jennifer Gamble, Child Advocacy Center Family Services Coordinator. "For many of our families, this is the only opportunity for their children to experience the magic of Christmas."
Your generosity helps provide a sense of normalcy for families who have been through so much. 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, or grocery store gift cards.
- Sponsor the Child Advocacy Center through a special holiday donation or in-kind contribution.
The Child Advocacy Center is a 501c3 nonprofit agency and all contributions to the Secret Santa program are tax deductible. The Center works as a multidisciplinary team with the Department of Children's Services, law enforcement, and the District Attorney's Office to investigate and prosecute child abuse cases and help children and families heal from the trauma.
For information on how you can be a part of the magic of Christmas as a Secret Santa to an abused child, contact Jennifer Gamble at the Child Advocacy Center in Rutherford County at (615) 867-9000 or Cassell Galligan-Davis at the Cannon County Child Advocacy Center at (616) 563-9915.