For many of the children under our roof, their first Christmas here will be the happiest holiday they’ve experienced. If you think it’s odd that spending a festive time of year in a domestic violence shelter could be thought of as happy, consider that it may be the first holiday where they’ve enjoyed all the wonders of Christmas without feeling fear or witnessing anger.
With the help of a long list of community volunteers, we create a weeks-long holiday celebration for our kids and their mothers. Yes, they get gifts that come in packages, but the most important and long-lasting gift they’ll receive is the knowledge Christmas is a time for family togetherness and taking care of others.
One of our favorite Sheltering Wings traditions is the annual Cookie Bake for Law Enforcement. Our staff brings the moms and kids together with ingredients donated by our many supporters, and they spend an entire day baking and decorating all sorts of festive cookies.
For many of the families, it’s the first time they’ve shared an activity that many of us remember fondly from our own childhoods. The wonder of watching eggs and flour and butter become dough, the work of rolling them out and using cookie cutters to make beautiful shapes, sprinkling the cookies with colored sugar — all these simple acts so many of us treasure fondly are new to them. And then comes the most amazing part, when the cookies go into the oven and that heavenly sweet smell fills the kitchen and wafts down the hallways.
The kids can’t wait to taste their holiday creations, and pride-filled smiles appear on their faces as they delight in what they’ve accomplished. But we also use the day to help them understand the importance of serving others during the holidays and all year long. They package the cookies and deliver them to the police officers and deputies who ensure our safety.
Dealing with the realities of domestic violence can be exhausting and saddening, but during the Cookie Bake, our kitchen is transformed into a magical place. As we walk through, we watch families that have been through unimaginable circumstances enjoy the simple togetherness that accompanies baking together. We take in the wide-eyed anticipation of the children who never thought of themselves as bakers as they discover that sweet treats don’t have to come from the supermarket. Laughter and happy voices fill the air amidst a backdrop of joyous carols.
Christmas may be but one day on the calendar, but the preparations for the celebration of our Savior’s birth create memories that will endure for a lifetime. A generation from now, the kids who created treats for the first time this month will gather their own children around the table to mix the dough and sprinkle the toppings as a tradition of a family tradition that began in a remarkable place known as Sheltering Wings.
