It’s not easy for everyone to have a happy holiday season. There are many local families who have struggled this past year. But here in Collier County, the holidays are made much happier by a wealth of local organizations that zero in on children who need some extra care and joy.
Super Sheriff’S Deputies
One of the biggest supporters of making the holidays happier for local children in need is the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, which teams up with area groups to bring an array of programs to the community.
“The thing we like is to be a part of the community, and this is one of the ways we get to do that,” said Sheriff Kevin Rambosk. “That is what it is all about.”
This is the 17th year for Celebrate With a Star, an annual giving program for children in the Guardian Ad Litem program. The sheriff’s department and members of the community purchase gifts from an Amazon Wish List, and deputies then distribute them to about 200 children.
For almost a decade, Shop with a Sheriff has been a popular holiday tradition. Local schools identify 80-90 children who are in need. The Jewish Federation of Greater Naples provides $100 for each child to buy items for the holidays, with shopping assistance from a deputy.
Then there is Santa’s Ride Toy Drive/Sydney’s Goodnight Lights where deputies bring gifts to children at North Collier Hospital by Immokalee Road in dozens of police cars with the lights flashing.
Cherishing Traditions
Celebrating the holidays for the first time without a loved one can be tough. That’s why Avow in Naples has a list of events to make it easier for children and their families who have experienced a loss.
On Dec. 19, the annual Avow Winter Community Festival features games, activities, Santa, a bounce house, and other treats. Last year it attracted more than 300 parents and children.
Renee Stoll, director of communications, says the festival is a soft introduction to Avow’s services.
“They can see this feels familiar and it is not as scary as they thought,” Stoll said. “They see it is a cool free event for the community.”
When a loved one is gone, sometimes traditions disappear too, and Stoll says Avow doesn’t want that to happen. So the nonprofit maintains its own traditions, such as its annual Cookie Decorating Party on Dec. 20.
“This event brings a holiday ritual back for the kids to enjoy and express times when they may have baked holiday cookies with the relative they lost,” Stoll said.
There is also a Holiday Caroling event on Dec. 22.
“We try to reinforce with the family that it is ok to start new traditions, and it is ok to go back to old traditions,” she explained.
Avow’s services aren’t only for kids who have experienced the death of a loved one. They are for any child dealing with any kind of loss: a parent incarcerated, a parent deported, a move that takes a child away from friends, and more.
Celebrating at the Shelter
Kids at the Shelter for Abused Women and Children in Naples get a visit from Santa. Photo from the Shelter for Abused Women and Children.
There’s also a lot of celebrating going on at The Shelter for Abused Women & Children in Naples. The building is decorated for the holidays, complete with a North Pole mailbox for Santa letters. Each child receives several gifts that are specifically requested by their parents or from a Santa letter. Adults get presents too. The shelter holds a Christmas brunch with a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus on Christmas morning.
Home for the Holidays
For some children “home for the holidays” is a shelter. There are 11 families with a total of about 30 children at the St. Matthew’s House shelters in Naples and Immokalee.
“We do a residents’ Christmas party where Santa comes on the winter solstice,” said Bob Irzyk, St. Matthew’s director of marketing and communications. “We have cookies and Santa hands out gifts.”
The shelter works with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and Naples Police Department to buy gifts specifically for each child. The shelter also hosts Five Days of Christmas, which features an event each day for five days: baking cookies, movie night, caroling, gingerbread houses, and the Santa visit.
The giving goes beyond the shelter doors.
“For our single residents that have kids elsewhere, we allow them to shop for extra toys to give to their kids,” Irzyk explained. Gifts also are provided for children living in the Wolf Apartments, low-income housing owned by St. Matthew’s House.
Bountiful Bikes
About 400 local children will receive a bicycle this holiday season from Bikes for Tykes. Since the Naples volunteer group started in 1987, it has distributed more than 46,000 bicycles.
“The last quarter of the year is extremely busy for us,” said Skip Riffle, founder of Bikes for Tykes.
The organization teams up with various groups for bike build days. This year’s groups include the Port Royal community, the Salvation Army, and DeVoe Subaru. Bikes for Tykes’ 16 volunteers also spend hours in a garage in Golden Gate making old bikes look like new to distribute to local children.
Shopping Spree
Toys and games are donated to the Guadalupe Center. Photo from the Guadalupe Center.
The Guadalupe Center does things a bit differently when it comes to bringing children a happy holiday. It invites parents to its yearly Holiday Gift Shop, where they receive free presents for their children. Groups such as the Seminole Tribe and the Community School of Naples help with the project. Last year 682 families arrived to get gifts for almost 2,500 children. Even wrapping paper is provided.
“It is so popular that we run it for a couple of days,” said Bob Spano, vice president of programs at Guadalupe Center.
Beyond Toys
Laces of Love provides sneakers to children in need all year, but during the holidays, it gears up for a special event. Founder Jeanne Nealon says each year the group donates hundreds of shoes to the Guadalupe Center in Immokalee for its Holiday Gift Shop, where parents go to shop for free for the holidays.
“They don’t ask for toys,” Nealon explained. “They ask for clothing and shoes. The parents are so happy when they get shoes. It’s sad, but it is true.”