Santa’s Elves Co-chairs George Ann Braden and Ashley Braden-Knowles

Hibiscus Children’s Center and Community Bring Holiday Joy to Children

Martin County, FL –   The holiday season is often considered a time for spreading love and joy.  This is just what our local community has been helping Hibiscus Children’s Center do since the Tilton Family Children’s Shelter opened its doors.   Hibiscus has provided safe haven to abused, abandoned and neglected children at the Shelter for almost four decades and each year, “Santa’s Elves” partner with the community to ensure the children have a joyful and memorable holiday season.  Santa’s Elves – aka our incredible Martin County Guild members – is led by co-chairs Ashley Braden-Knowles and George Ann Braden.  Along with the help of many elves, they collect and wrap donations of toys, games, books, dolls, trucks, and much more, all for the children to find under the tree on Christmas morning.  Just imagine their excitement and the smiles on their faces!

Our hope is for the children to not only experience the magic of the season, but to enjoy it all year long.   One of the goals of the Santa’s Elves Program is to provide Life Enrichment Activities that the children can enjoy throughout the year, including museums, educational exhibits, sports and community activities, fishing, sailing and art camps, and much more.  These life experiences can provide a sense of normalcy to the children, help them heal from the trauma they have endured and give them positive childhood memories.

Several children shared that Christmas morning at Hibiscus is wonderful and they loved having adventures throughout the year.   Twelve year old Callie expressed, “Christmas is really fun at Hibiscus but it was even better that we could go on field trips during the year so the fun lasted longer!”

Hibiscus Children’s Center believes that every child deserves to experience the joy of the holiday season and the warmth of a caring community.  We aim to not only provide the children with presents but also with experiences that will enrich their lives and create lasting memories all year long.

If you would like to get involved and help brighten the holiday season for children and give them fun experiences all year long, please visit us at http://www.hibiscusdrive.org or email us at hccsantaselves@gmail.com.   Thank you for making a difference in the lives of children!