Hip, hip, HOORAY…for the kiddos and you! Not only did we reach our $40,000 goal, with the help of many generous donors and a matching grant from the V&S Foundation, we surpassed it! Our team is happily distributing gift cards for over 200 child victims of abuse this holiday season. That’s what we call SHARING JOY!
Nonetheless, 365 days a year, children continue to need Safe Shores’ unique combination of intervention, healing, and hope-giving services. Therefore, donations received for the remainder of 2021 will go directly toward providing our life-saving services to children and families affected by abuse. Know that every dollar of support makes a powerful difference in the lives of abused children in our community.
Last year, 14-year-old Angelo began living with his older sister, Danielle, after experiencing child sexual abuse at the hands of his mother’s boyfriend. Pushed away by their family during what is supposed to be the most wonderful time of year, Angelo and Danielle had to create their own new holiday traditions. Thankfully, with help from gift cards generously funded by community members like you through Safe Shores’ Holiday Giving Drive, these siblings found hope, courage, and some holiday cheer to forge a brave new start.
Read on to learn how supporters like you made Angelo and Danielle’s holidays brighter, and how you can brighten the season of giving for child victims of abuse this year.
Angelo and Danielle’s Hope Reclaimed
Angelo was brought to Safe Shores because he had been sexually abused by his mother’s boyfriend. This heartbreaking situation meant that Angelo was in the care of his big sister, Danielle. Thankfully, Danielle believed her brother wholeheartedly and was determined to protect him from any future harm. However, at 22, she did not have the means to provide for all of Angelo’s needs. A Safe Shores’ client advocate helped Danielle find financial assistance and provided emergency monetary help through Safe Shores’ Emergency Victims Crisis Fund.
Angelo and Danielle were facing their first holiday season celebrating with just the two of them, as they’d been ostracized from their extended family in the aftermath of the abuse and investigation. When their client advocate told Danielle about Holiday Giving, Danielle was so happy and relieved that she would be able to brighten her little brother’s holiday. Danielle knew exactly what Angelo wanted: new shoes, a video game, and tickets to see a movie he’d been talking about for months.
The siblings had grown up in a family with many special holiday traditions, and Danielle had no idea how she would recreate those for Angelo. With a gift card in hand from the Holiday Giving drive, Angelo and Danielle invented their own brand-new family tradition that year: going to a movie together on Christmas Eve. Angelo told his advocate that it had been his “best holiday season in a long time” because he knew he and his sister were safe.
Despite the loss of their family’s support and the incredibly difficult year they’d both faced, Angelo and Danielle were able to spend the holiday together feeling safe, loved, and supported because people in our community like you gave so generously.
During this season of giving there are countless opportunities to share some joy with children and families in crisis.
By donating to Safe Shores’ 2021 Holiday Giving Drive, YOU CAN GIVE HOPE AND SHARE JOY!
Our goal is to make this season brighter for 200 children. With your help, caregivers will receive a $200 gift card (for each child) so that their family may celebrate their holiday traditions in the ways they choose. For Angelo and Danielle that meant a family movie night — a simple yet powerful step to reclaim hope in their lives.
Safe Shores needs your help to bring hope and joy to the lives of child victims of abuse. Please make a tax-deductible donation today — online at www.safeshores.org/donate or by sending a check or money order to Safe Shores, 429 O Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001. Be sure to add “Holiday Giving” in the comments. Remember, $200 covers the needs of one child, but a donation of any size helps!
Thank you for supporting Safe Shores’ unique combination of intervention, hope, and healing for child victims in our community!
Donate to Safe Shores’ Holiday Giving Drive
Make sure to note “Holiday Giving” in the comments.
