Who can resist helping a child? Nothing has ever broken more hearts than a child out in the cold. Christmas is a time for families to come together in a celebration of what it means to be together, to hold each other close while the winds whip outside. But when a child’s family is compromised, when the safety of their home leaves little room for celebration, where can they turn? It’s for this exact reason that the Christmas Box House of Utah was founded.
Since its inception in 1998, the Christmas Box House served as a comfortable place for children to wade out what some feel is the worst experience of their young life. In the past, children would be removed from a hostile environment, only to be plopped down in an office to wait out the storm. Try and place yourself in the shoes of a child just uprooted from their home before the holiday season. It’s an emotional time, one fraught with antipathy, and being stuck in a social worker’s office does little to calm the shaken nerves of a child.
Christmas Box House is the answer to a problem that is all too real for many. Serving nearly 1,400 youth last year with at least 800 staying more than one night, Christmas Box House offers familiar comforts for those in desperate need. On-site medical professionals, clean clothes, comfortable beds and toys await any child who steps through the door. Supplied entirely by charitable donations, Christmas Box remains full of the necessary love and care for each and every charge sent through their doors.
Equal parts treatment center and escape, children who find themselves in the care of Christmas Box are treated to the best of both worlds. The yearly Christmas decor keeps the children happy while professionals better assess the best placement for the child. No one wants to separate a child from their family, but in some cases, for the child’s safety, the tough calls need to be made.
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