'Angels Against Abuse' brings Christmas joy to children removed from their homes
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Christmas can be a trying time for children being removed from their homes due to abuse. To help relieve some of the stress for these kids, a local angel decided to provide Christmas presents.
There are enough presents at Pasadena Community Church's gymnasium to make even Santa blush.
"Thousands," said Sandy Kearney with Angels Against Abuse. "Thousands of presents and every wish list that the kids ask for."
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Kearney is a real life angel who made it her mission to make sure children removed from homes due to abuse or caught up in the foster system aren't forgotten. She started Angels Against Abuse 17 years ago.
"We want the kids to believe in the magic of Christmas," said Kearney. "All year long, they face challenges and obstacles that we can't even imagine. And on one day of the year, we would like them to have hope for a better tomorrow."
She's given wish lists for kids identified through the sheriff's office and her community partners. Byron Pressley has been one of those partners for the past nine years.
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"Hats off to Sandy and the angels for what they do for Christmas, but not just Christmas but what they do throughout the whole year for what they do for our organization," he said.
"I'm just overwhelmed with joy and gratefulness, because those kids are going to have a present under the tree," said Lisa Scarzafava, the director of homeless services with the Boley Center.
Kearney and her elves love playing the role of Saint Nick, holding the magic of Christmas in their hands.
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"Once a year we get to be like Santa Claus. Even though we don't get to see the kids, we know we're making a difference," she said.
"I think the value is invaluable, really cause you never really know what somebody's dealing with," Damia Kelly, the vice president of the Boley Center, said.
"Some of these kids need to know that there's a Santa that wants them to be like normal, you know, where they will get to have a present that other kids that have loving families have," Kearney said.
An angel spreading her wings to lift others.
"I want kids to be loved like I was loved. I don't have a story like you heard a lot of stories today. My story is I want kids to be loved like I was," Kearney said.