ST. LOUIS — How about a great story to end out a not-so-great year?
The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery announced it is doling out more than $260,000 to families in need this holiday season thanks to "miracle" donations from supporters.
Crisis Nursery provides a short-term safe haven for children, newborn to 12 years old, to stay when their families are in crisis. It serves about 5,000 children a year, according to its website.
The pandemic has created unprecedented need compared to other years, and Crisis Nursery families have been disproportionately affected, it said. But thanks to generous donations, the organization is helping pay for rent, utility, food and other necessities for families in need.
The distribution began in December and will run through Christmas. More than 900 families and nearly 2,500 children already have been helped, the Crisis nursery said in a Tuesday news release.
“Thanks to incredibly generous people in the St. Louis area, people who believe in what the Crisis Nursery has been doing, and is able to do, we have been blessed with the chance to assist more Crisis Nursery families than ever in a time of increasing need,” Crisis Nursery CEO DiAnne Mueller said in the release. “So many families have been thrown into such desperate situations this year that requests for help far exceeded any previous year. We are very, very grateful for the help from our donor community that has allowed us to support kids and families in this way.”
Payments to utility companies help services from being disconnected and endangering children, Crisis Nursery said. It has also provided credit to stores like Aldi and Target that have a presence in the neighborhoods of people the nursery serves.
“For almost 35 years, the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery has been intimately connected with the families we serve," Mueller said. "This year, we heard families say that what was needed most this holiday season was the gift of a warm and stable home. And we know that Crisis Nursery families have been disproportionately affected by the impact of COVID-19. The resulting economic hardships are truly difficult to overstate.”
When stress is reduced in the home, child abuse can be prevented, Crisis Nursery said.
“We have been doing this a very long time,” said Crisis Nursery Sr. Clinical Director Molly Brown, “and we know that 99% of the children whose families are involved with the Crisis Nursery are not abused or neglected because we focus on supporting families and reducing overwhelming stress.”
Crisis Nursery has an Amazon wish list you can view here, or you can donate directly here.
