This past holiday season, communities across Santa Barbara County, including businesses, organizations, school classes and families, demonstrated the true spirit of giving by donating hundreds of gifts and basic wish list items to struggling families through Child Abuse Listening Mediation‘s annual Adopt a Family program.
The program provided gifts, basic supplies and festive decorations for 317 families and some 612 children, totaling just over 1,000 individuals throughout Santa Barbara County.
“CALM’s Adopt a Family program ensures that children and families receive gifts during the holidays. But, it is so much more than that. It builds a support network for these families and sends a powerful message that they are important and valued by our community,” said CALM CEO Alana Walczak.
“For the parents we serve, it can be truly transformational to learn that people they don’t even know are thinking about them and the well-being of their children. It builds their confidence and provides support so they can focus on becoming better mothers and fathers to their sons and daughters.
“We are so grateful for everyone who chose to participate and partner with us in strengthening our community, one family at a time,” Walczak said.
By connecting people to one another across the county, the Adopt a Family program not only brings holiday cheer to families in need but also strengthens protective factors for children and helps to prevent abuse.
On behalf of all the children and their parents who were given gifts through Adopt a Family this year, CALM would like to thank everyone who participated.
CALM was founded in 1970 to reach stressed parents before they hurt their children. CALM focuses solely on preventing, assessing and treating child abuse and family violence through comprehensive, cutting-edge programs. For more information about all of CALM’s services, call 805-965-2376, or visit http://calm4kids.org.
— Denise Crosby for CALM.