Renee Barker first learned about the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) during a tour sponsored by the United Way’s Catalyst program.
“What I saw there intrigued my mind and my heart,” she said. Fast forward to today, and the steady involvement of First Baptist Church every year in the CAC’s Secret Santa program. Barker is both operations director and community impact director for the 172-year-old church on East Castle Street.
The church’s 3000 members are heavily involved in the community, adopting schools and nursing homes as well as sponsoring a prison ministry and offering free music classes.
The church also sponsors families through the CAC’s Secret Santa program as well as providing the location where families come to receive their gifts every year. The CAC is a 501c3, non-profit organization that was founded in 2000 to provide safety, justice and healing for victims of child abuse and child sexual abuse, drug-endangered children, and their non-offending family members.
“We work with families to make sure the whole family receives Christmas gifts,” said Jennifer Darnell, CAC Family Services coordinator. Darnell said child sexual abuse and child abuse takes a toll on the entire family and disrupts the family system. “Often, a salary is lost or the family has to move, incurring expenses. Sometimes Christmas gifts become a luxury.”
Over the last 25 years, the CAC has served more than 50,000 people. This number includes approximately 21,000 children and approximately 16,500 people who have participated in the CAC’s Darkness to Light child sexual abuse prevention training.
She said the Secret Santa program serves approximately 300 people annually, and sponsors are always needed. Some sponsors return year after year and stay involved.
“In addition to gifts, we often provide necessary items like cleaning supplies, bedsheets and bath towels, and pots and pans,” Darnell said. “We know these families. We have worked with them and have been in their homes. We want to help them function and thrive.”
Jody Barger, owner of Stonebrook Day School, says the school’s longtime involvement in the Secret Santa program is part of their focus on giving back.
“We help multiple families through Secret Santa every year, and also provide items the CAC needs, like juice boxes, snacks, stuffed animals and cleaning supplies. Our school families all get involved.” Stonebrook Day School has been in Murfreesboro for 24 years, serving families and children aged six weeks through five years old.
Darnell said part of the joy of the program is shopping for the families. “We provide first names, clothing sizes and the family’s Christmas wish list,” she said. “Sponsors shop for the family or provide gift cards. They wrap and label the gifts and drop them off on December 11 and 12 in the morning at First Baptist Church on East Castle Street. That afternoon the families come to pick up their gifts.”
Darnell says seeing the joy on the faces of the family members helps her stay focused on the true spirit of Christmas in an organization that sees some of the worst of humanity.
“We always welcome more sponsors,” Darnell said. To learn more and sponsor a Rutherford County family, contact [email protected] or (615) 867-9000. In Cannon County, contact Amanda Hammond at [email protected] or (615) 563-9915.
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