What do you look forward to the most about Christmas? Perhaps you enjoy looking at the beautifully decorated trees in windows and the lights that seem to increase every year? Is it the carols, or the food, that we only get to enjoy at this time of year? Or do you look forward to sharing presents with people you love and spending time together with your family?
The joy of a family Christmas is an image we can all appreciate and would be our wish for every family to enjoy.
For children like Harry, all there is to look forward to at Christmas, and every day, is fear and violence.
Harry is just 8 years old and for most of his life has experienced violence and abuse within his own family, the people who are supposed to protect him.
Harry’s parents had a very troubled relationship. Throughout his childhood, he was exposed to drugs, alcohol and unimaginable violence which placed the family on the Social Work department’s radar. When Harry was only 4 years old, his dad was charged in connection to a stabbing and violence in the home with weapons. Harry was in the house at the time.
Living in such chaos, Harry’s mum found it very difficult to care for him properly. She was scared of the social workers, who she thought were only there to take Harry away, and refused every offer of support.
For years Harry’s parents’ relationship was on again, off again. Punctuated by fights, physical violence and his dad’s stints in prison. Harry grew up unable to trust anyone, always on edge for the next random act of violence or rage. He didn’t understand his own emotions and was unable to control them. He was becoming violent towards his classmates.
Fears for his safety, and his chance of being a risk to others led to a referral to the Children’s Hearing Panel. They agreed that he was unsafe at home and decided that he should be placed into a foster home.
Harry struggled to adapt to what should have been a safe place to live. His verbal and physical behaviour continued to deteriorate. He even told his social worker that his foster carers were hurting him. He had to move on.
That’s when he found a safe place with CrossReach.
Please give a gift this Christmas to help children like Harry find their safe place.
At a CrossReach children’s house, Harry found a safe place with compassionate people who truly loved and cared for him and with other young people who were also overcoming really challenging circumstances.
At first he was a little hesitant, still showing signs of aggression towards others. Staff in the house took time to comfort him and build a trusting relationship using play and cooking to help him open up.
Harry loves his new home. He takes part in everything that’s going on and has begun to build real friendships with the others in the house.
He is a talented boy who needed stability, structure and safety. He has found all of these, and more, with CrossReach. This Christmas will be the one we would all hope to enjoy.
At the first Christmas, Jesus and his family had to escape to a safe place, away from the danger they were facing.
Your gift to CrossReach this Christmas will help children find the safe place they need.
Did you know it costs on average £786 per day to provide a safe place to live for a child like Harry
For children with experience of drugs or alcohol in their families, the safe place you give could be someone to talk to. Somewhere to process their experiences and emotions.
For children like Harry, who aren’t safe at home you could a safe place to live. Therapeutic children’s homes can provide the stability, safety and routine children like Harry need in their lives.
A safe place at our school at Erskine can provide an education when this has been impacted by trauma, abuse, lack of support or other complex needs.
What do you look forward to the most about Christmas? Someone said it was “the chance to feel like a child again”. Imagine how Harry must feel, after everything he has faced, to now have a safe place to live and a hopeful Christmas to look forward to.
Please send your Christmas gift to provide a safe place for children in Scotland today.
You can send them a short message too, to give hope and light this Christmas. Your Christmas candle will be hung on our Tree of Hope and your message shared with the children you have helped this Christmas.
God bless you this Christmas.
Help more children find their safe place this Christmas - Donate here
