My friend Amie Barsky has been involved with starting and running a charity for several years. This charity is her heart and soul of Christmastime to share and give to those in need. Read my little talk with Amie below…

Can you give me a brief overview of what the Maryvale Angels charity organization is about and where it’s located?

Maryvale Christmas Angels is a nonprofit organization in association with Maryvale, a 501(c)(3) residential facility licensed to serve 65 girls ages 6 through 17 who have been deeply wounded by abuse.

Maryvale Christmas Angels’ focus is to give the Maryvale girls a holiday celebration with their Maryvale family during what is a difficult time for them to be away from their own families. Each girl writes a “Dear Santa” wish list of three gifts and our goal is to raise enough money to make their wishes come true. The Maryvale facility is located in Rosemead, California.

When did you first get involved? Who else is involved?

In 2002 a friend of mine asked if I would like to volunteer my time at the Maryvale holiday party. He knew I enjoyed working with children and that I come from a performance background so he wanted me to help get the girls on the dance floor, lead them in fun line dances and games. I was overwhelmed by their strength and charisma, their willingness to love and be loved even after all they’ve endured. Although some of them were hesitant at first to open up, there was no doubt that they didn’t want the party or music to end.

During my 3rd year of volunteering as a dancer, I learned that the chief organizers of this event for the past 11 years were now retiring and no one had stepped in to fill their shoes. I felt in my heart that I needed to find a way to keep this annual celebration going. I sat down with the previous organizers to get a better understanding of what exactly needed to be done. Realizing that I could not do this by myself, I asked Laurinda, a very good friend of mine, if she wanted to partner up with me, I mentioned her two loves, children and shopping, she didn’t hesitate….. hence Maryvale Christmas Angels was officially born. This is our 5 year anniversary and my have we grown. First off, Maryvale Christmas Angels would not succeed if it weren’t for all the Angels donations enabling us to purchase each girls “wish list” items. We went from “cookies and punch” to a “knock your socks off” meal donated by Wolfgang Puck Catering, who joined our mission two years ago. We cherish our volunteers who have been with us since the beginning and welcome the new ones who join our family yearly. Many, many, many thanks to all of you!!!

Why does the charity focus on Christmas?

When you were a child, did you write a letter to Santa telling him that you were “good all year” and list the items that you wished for? Perhaps your family was able to provide those wishes because they knew you would be counting down the days and couldn’t wait to see you explode with joy! The Maryvale Christmas Angels tries to create that same excitement for these girls as best we can with their Maryvale family. We feel that the holiday season is a vital time of year for the girls to be away from their families. The more joy and happiness we can bring to them during these stressful times the better.

How has the progress of this charity been over the years? Has it been growing enough to accommodate all of the girls’ needs?

We use the word “Angels” in our title because that’s what we call our donors. They are the “Angels” that make this program “fly”. Maryvale Christmas Angels has been fortunate to continue to flourish despite these economic hardships that most are facing. I feel that people are realizing now more than ever how even just a small gesture can make a huge difference and that no matter how hard their struggle may be, someone else may be struggling even harder. This program cannot survive with out the help of others, each year we reach out for donations and our Angels open their hearts and donate because the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow.

What can people do to help?

There are many ways people can help, the easiest is by making an on-line donation through our safe and secure PayPal link so that we can purchase the specific items on each “Wish List”. Donate online at http://www.maryvaleangels.com/donate/

If you are local and want to volunteer during the event please contact me at donate@maryvaleangels.com

If you own or work for a company that would be willing to make gift card donations please contact me at donate@maryvaleangels.com

Thanks Amie! I’m so proud of you for helping these girls and I hope many others will help as well!

Watch the video below or view it and more info at the website: MaryVale Angels.