The Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center has been working on making 2000 children who have been victims of abuse smile this Christmas season. This comes as abuse rates are at an all-time high, leaving children in need as Christmas approaches.
The center staff and volunteers hope to gift each child one necessity item, such as a cozy blanket, socks, or pajamas, a book, and three or four toys or games. They are, however, short of supplies.
Chief Development Officer for DCAC Murphey Sears said that the supplies available at the center would not be enough.
“Even though this looks like a lot, it will not be enough,” Sears said, according to CBS 11 News. She predicted that the toys they have available will deplete quickly.
“Unless we receive things in a much more plentiful fashion, we are going to run out,” Sears further said. While the donation window is slim, Sears hopes that people still come through with their donations to make every child’s wish come true.
DCAC accepts gifts ranging from books to toys to fulfill its outreach to the children. The center is also requesting donations for teens. Headphones are a popularly requested item for teens. According to CBS 11 News, the center only had 164 headphones as of Tuesday out of the 400 requested.
Volunteer Trenton Henson encouraged people to do what they can to fulfill children’s wishes.
“I think to have it in your mind that there are some kids who will be writing to Santa or asking their parents or grandparents for things that maybe aren’t necessarily going to be under the tree is a tough thing, and anything we can do to help that, we should definitely do it,” Henson said, according to CBS 11 News.
Anyone interested in giving new unwrapped gifts to children up to eighteen years old can drop them off at DCAC. The center is also accepting donations online. The deadline for donations to be delivered to the target recipients by Christmas is Saturday, December 11.