Holiday wishes come true

The holiday season for some children is the time for wish lists, moist holiday cookies and decorative window displays. Children push their red with cold noses to the windows for a closer look at the goodies inside. They will rush home and hope those goodies find their way to their homes. But for some children all they have is wishful thinking, knowing the goodies behind the glass will never touch their hands.

This holiday season VCU students are sponsoring 44 children who are victims of abuse or neglect. Their goal is to make sure the gifts those children wish for reach their hands.

In Virginia, 4,661 cases of child abuse or neglect were reported from 2004 to 2005, according to Greater Richmond Stop Child Abuse Now. SCAN is a nonprofit organization seeking to help abused children and their families.

Since 1991, SCAN has helped children who were victims of physical, verbal and sexual abuse as well as neglect.

Three of VCU’s freshman dorms – Rhoads, Brandt and Cabaniss halls – joined hands with SCAN to help create holiday spirit for children in need. Paper dolls were cut out and a child’s name, age, holiday gift wish and clothing size were handwritten on the paper doll.

Once the paper dolls were dispersed, donations, gifts and holiday surprises for the children began to come in waves.

Paper bags marked with the names of the sponsored children overflow with clothes, basketballs, teddy bears, plastic toy cars, stuffed ballerinas and gift cards. SCAN will collect the gifts, wrap them and deliver them to the child.

Jayson Hubbard, a resident assistant on the ninth floor in Brandt Hall, said he thinks the project is a great way to get involved outside of VCU.

Hubbard and his 38 residents are sponsoring a 12-year-old boy who requested a jacket. Together they raised $40 to purchase the gift.

Child abuse in Virginia

• 4,661-number of proven cases of child abuse or neglect.
• 7,011-number of proven victims of abuse or neglect.
• 26-number of children who died from abuse or neglect.
• 19-number of children who died who were age 3 or younger.
• 615-number of children in the greater Richmond area who were victims.
• 85-percent of abuse or neglect committed by parents.

*reports from 2004 to 2005
To make a donation:www.grscan.com/howtohelp/

SCAN is an organization providing public and prevention education, therapy and support for abused families. The organization is comprised of the Child Advocacy Center, which provides a safe haven for abused or neglected children.
As a result of community support, donations from individuals, corporations, congregations, civic organizations and private foundations, all of the services are free and accessible to all families.

Information from Greater Richmond SCAN Web site

“I cannot imagine only asking for a jacket for Christmas,” he said. “I’m used to getting $200 to $300 worth of clothes. It blew me away that he asked for just one jacket.”

“It really shows the honesty in these children. I want stuff for Christmas,” he said. “But these kids actually need stuff.”

Although some of the children are in dire situations, they have their wishes for the holiday season.

The children have asked for scarves, toys and gift cards. For children 3 years old and younger, parents or SCAN representatives requested winter clothes.

Lindsey Eades, a member of the Board of Young Professionals for SCAN and also VCU’s assistant director of administration for University Student Health Services, said the gifts will help fill some of the gaps in the children’s lives. Knowing the resources available to them, however, may be the best gift.

“These children often lack safety and security, the involvement of one or both parents and basic necessities,” she said. “We should all feel some sense of responsibility to at least know the resources that are available for these children.”

Eades has worked with SCAN since April and said she has seen it change lives.

“This is a place that these children can go to for healing,” she said.

Eades said she is thrilled VCU students are helping children this season.

“I think it’s important for students to be involved in the community that they live and go to school in,” she said.

Michal Zivan Coffey, member of the BYP and Campus Learning Center director, agreed.

“This is a great opportunity to make a difference locally,” she said. “Many times we are asked to give financially, but we don’t get the opportunity to really work with the organization.”

Coffey said the gifts provided by VCU students will leave an everlasting mark on the lives of these children.

“Child abuse is a horrible and scary thing. No child should ever have to endure what these children have gone through,” she said.

The gifts, Coffey said, will bring smiles to the children’s faces.

“The gifts that the VCU students are providing are helping children who haven’t had a good year,” she said. “The students are really helping to brighten a child’s world.”

Michelle Davis, development assistant for SCAN, is excited about student involvement. She said with today’s busy schedules, these children are easily forgotten.

“When you live in a safe home, in a nice neighborhood, you just assume everyone else is like you,” she said. “It’s so easy to overlook the ‘bad’ things going on around you.”

Members of SCAN and the 1,760 students hope to make some dreams come true this holiday season. On Eades’ holiday wish list, you’ll find one for the children of SCAN.

“I wish that they will never again face the fear of abuse in their lifetime.”