Lodi nonprofit to bring Christmas to children in need

The Women’s Center for Youth and Family Services is making sure families dealing with the trauma of domestic abuse have a good holiday season.

For about 10 years, the nonprofit has been hosting its Adopt-A-Family program during the holidays. This year will be no different.

According to Jennifer Jones, the center’s CEO, the program was initially started to provide a good Christmas for victims of domestic violence and their children living in the two undisclosed shelters in San Joaquin County. The program has since expanded to the center’s other services as well, Jones said.

“Initially those families were coming in to the shelter, especially the ones coming in during the holidays, with nothing but the clothing on their back. They had nothing,” Jones said. “They had left their homes suddenly because of the violence and didn’t even have time pack or get anything,

“So they’re there right before the holidays. They’re already scared. They’re already traumatized and all the children really want is to feel somewhat normal in the shelter. The best way that we can do that around the holidays is to provide them with a Christmas.”

With the program, families create a wish list and are adopted out to donors, who go shopping for the gifts and wrap the presents. The presents are then delivered to the shelter for Christmas morning. Those interested in becoming a donor can contact the center’s main office at 209-9412611 or the Lodi satellite office at 209368-3406. Last year the center was able to adopt out nearly 100 families, Jones said. With the increased need she said the center is hoping to adopt out over 100 families this year.

Jones said providing Christmas to the families in the shelter really helps the children have a sense normalcy in their lives.

“They’re already in a scary situation,” she said. “They’re already removed from their home. They’ve already witnessed violence. They’re already feeling great trauma. To feel a little normalcy being brought back into their life with something as simple as to wake up Christmas morning and have gifts for them, it just makes them feel safer, a little bit more secure, like their life is not spiraling out of control. It’s a little glimmer of hope for them.”