Milford, PA – Last year, Safe Haven provided holiday gifts to over 350 children. For many, they were the only gifts they received. Safe Haven’s staff experienced so many touching moments–from hearing stories of the families in need, to the donations that literally showed up mysteriously at the door when they were starting to feel that they couldn’t meet all the needs. It truly is a gift to be able to give!
This year, Safe Haven is expecting a much greater need and has, therefore, decided to reach even further into our community. Local organizations such as the Milford Hill Learning Center, Kids Play Today, the Girl Scouts, Brownies, Cub Scouts, Pike County Developmental Center, female inmates in the Pike County Correctional Facility enrolled in the H.O.P.E (Helping Offenders Promote Excellence) Program, the Area of Aging, and Safe Haven volunteers are creating handmade ornaments to be placed on trees throughout Pike County. Each ornament will have a tag attached to it stating the first name, age, and a few gift ideas for that child. The ornament is yours to keep; all Safe Haven asks is that you return the unwrapped gifts along with the tag for the child you have offered to sponsor. These gifts will go to clients of Safe Haven, Pike County Children & Youth, Mental Health Mental Retardation, Delaware Valley School District and children of incarcerated parents at the Pike County Correctional Facility.
A tree with these name tag ornaments will be placed on the Safe Haven porch for your convenience. In addition, there will be other trees throughout Pike County, including Drayer Physical Therapy, Pike Physical Therapy, Jen Murphy Fitness classes, First Presbyterian Church of Milford, Kids Play Today, Shohola Twp. Municipal bldg. and other locations to be added soon. Please call Safe Haven at 570-296-2827 to find a tree nearest you.
Please take a name and sponsor a child. Put the spirit of the season into someone else’s heart. Give them hope and let them know that others do care. You don’t need to get everything on their wish list, they are only suggestions. There aren’t any monetary requirements to participate in the “Gift of Giving” project. Do what you can. Even if it’s minimal to you, to a child it could mean more than you think.
Gifts are to be dropped off by Friday, December 17th at the location where you picked up your ornament or at the Safe Haven office. Safe Haven encourages you to participate and experience the immense joy of the Gift of Giving!
Safe Haven, Inc. of Pike County is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to restoring dignity to victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Services include free and confidential individual empowerment counseling, crisis intervention, emergency shelter, support groups, educational outreach programs, medical and justice system advocacy, community outreach, and volunteer training programs. Safe Haven provides a 24-hour crisis hotline, (570) 296-4357 (HELP). Any one interested in volunteering please contact Jennifer Doherty, Volunteer Coordinator at 570-296-2827. There many different ways to help Safe Haven make our community a safer place for everyone. Check out our website at www.safehavenofpikecounty.org.
Picture: The Staff of Drayer Physical Therapy and Perry Gower, Safe Haven
