Holiday Giving Trees

Dear Friends:

Mid-Minnesota Women’s Center, Inc. provides domestic violence survivors, their children and their pets with a secure facility where they can be physically safe while finding healthy alternatives to the violent situation they have fled. In addition to providing safety at the shelter, we continue to provide essential services to the members of our community seeking advocacy, resources and education about domestic abuse and healthy relationships.

The holidays are upon us and while we are able to offer the precious gift of physical safety and meet the basic needs of the families temporarily residing at our shelter, we rely on the generosity of our beloved community to assist us with providing the more tangible signs of giving during the holiday season. These families have life experiences which are impossible for many of us to comprehend…what it feels like to leave behind everything they own to wake up in an environment free of violence and the emotional stress caused by not being able to provide gifts for their children. In previous years, we have been fortunate for the giving spirit of others which has made the holiday season brighter for so many families. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, families are are still struggling. 

We humbly ask for your help to make this season a little brighter for someone in need by making a cash contribution, purchasing gifts or participating in our Adopt-A-Family program. 

Each holiday season, we reconnect with families recently displaced because of domestic abuse to see if they could use a little extra help. Each year the number of families participating in our holiday program increases. In 2019, we reconnected with 126 families. Last year, the number of families who requested holiday-related assistance increased by 30%...164! We anticipate the same or more requests this holiday season. The only reason this has been possible is because businesses offer to display our Giving Trees with gifts tags, others “adopt” families, some donate or collect gifts for us, some donate stockings or food and still others donate funds to fill any gaps to make this program a success. Our cluttered, chaotic, messy hallways and conference rooms leading up to Christmas Day are more beautiful than they are any other time of year.

Some common requests are candles, bath and body products, cooking tools, bedding, towels and washcloths, slippers and robes, tools, children’s toys, school supplies, books, pet supplies, fuel gift cards, grocery gift cards, home gift cards and lawn and garden gift cards. It is easy to help out local businesses during a time when they need our support too by visiting Baxter Café & Catering, Frandsen Bank & Trust, Goody’s Gourmet Treats, Loco Espress, Roundhouse Brewery, Westgate Mall and The Woods (all located in the Brainerd Lakes Area) to find trees with gift tags. You can also shop our Amazon Wish List at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/244WTJN24OF4R?ref_=wl_share or DomesticShelters.org Wish List at https://www.domesticshelters.org/mn/brainerd/56401/mid-minnesota-women-s-center-inc/wish-list.

For more information about holiday giving please contact Lenora Zino, Community Relations/Volunteer Coordinator, at 218-537-0588 or volunteer@womenscenteronline.org. 

For more information about our Adopt-A-Family program, please contact Cristina Fluegge, Domestic Violence Advocate, at 218-828-1216 or advocates@womenscenteronline.org. 

Together, we can make a difference in the lives of many people right here in our own community. On behalf of Mid-Minnesota Women’s Center, Inc.’s Board of Directors and Staff, thank you for taking the time to consider our request this holiday season.