For kids, the holidays are a magical time. Clark County shelters don’t want that magic to be lost for children who can’t be home for the holidays.
“If we can just add that little piece of home or give them something a little extra they’ve never experienced … that they can take with them and remember fondly, that’s all we want to do,” said Candace Lowe, program supervisor for Oak Bridge Youth Shelter in Vancouver.
Children in many shelters across Clark County will wake up to Christmas trees and presents.
Some of them will know that the Clark County community came together to collect and donate gifts. Others will revel in the joy that Santa Claus still knew where to find them, even though they had to leave home.
Get Help
If you are experiencing homelessness or struggling to stay in your home, call the Council for the Homeless Housing Hotline at 360-695-9677 to learn about available shelter and housing assistance in Clark County.
To reach Family Promise, call 360-210-5165.
To reach Oak Bridge Youth Shelter, call 360-891-2634.
Staff at shelter organization Family Promise, which hosts up to 14 families in individual rooms at its day center in Battle Ground and drives them to church shelters at night, will check to see if families celebrate Christmas, Executive Director Shane Scalf said. If they do, they’ll give them trees and decorations.
“They’re just kids. They have natural expectations of what Christmas is,” Scalf said.
Youth ages 9 to 17 staying at the Oak Bridge shelter will take trips to see the decorated Christmas lights on Franklin Street in Vancouver, have a traditional Christmas dinner and receive gifts.
“They’re kids, and they deserve it. It’s hard being away from family in a strange place with kids you may not know,” Lowe said. “And if we can give them a piece of normalcy in the chaos of their lives that brought them here, that’s what we want to do.”
Many of these shelters’ holiday gifts are thanks to donations, including one from Rotary Club of Vancouver for kids staying in Share’s shelters, which allowed them to buy $100 worth of items from JCPenney.
Brondalyn Coleman, deputy director of the Vancouver homelessness nonprofit Share, said she noticed a young girl around 9 or 10 years old buying a coat that was too large for her with her JCPenney money. When prodded about it, the girl explained it was for her mom.
“It was beautiful seeing that she wants to take care of her parents,” Coleman said. “Even in that moment, there wasn’t a selfish bone in her body. She wanted to make sure that her mom got a gift as well.”
Scalf said he’s grateful for the help Clark County residents have provided homeless shelters this month. However, Family Promise still receives 100 to 150 calls a month, no matter the season, from families in need.
“I think people can have more compassion for the children during the holidays when they’re suffering,” Scalf said, “but it really is an issue all year round.”
Alexis Weisend: 360.735.4536; alexis.weisend@columbian.com; twitter.com/weisend_alexis