"No child should wake up on Christmas morning and not have anything under the tree," said Child Advocacy Center holiday sponsor Kaitlin Vild. "Christmas is a time to give to others that need help. We love to give what we can to make a Christmas that a child will never forget!"

This fall, the Child Advocacy Center is recruiting "Secret Santa's" to help make abused children's Christmas wishes come true. "There are lots of reasons why wonderful people like Kaitlin Vild, Stacey Haynes, and Joan Davis get involved," said Child Advocacy Center Executive Director Sharon De Boer.

According to holiday sponsor Stacey Haynes, a 4th grade teacher at Campus School, "I am trying to help my students see that it isn't about you. I am teaching them to be thankful for what they have, to show compassion for others, and to learn to help out when they can."

Joan Davis said, "I always try to help a child with Christmas gifts every year. God blesses me so much, and I want to share with someone less fortunate."

The Child Advocacy Center is a non-profit agency that works with the Department of Children's Services, law enforcement, and the District Attorney's Office to investigate and prosecute child abuse cases.

"When your child is sexually abused it turns your world upside down - emotionally and financially," said Director Sharon De Boer. "Families may have to move, pay attorney fees to divorce, and lose the perpetrator's income when the perpetrator is incarcerated for sexually abusing the child. Every year we sponsor needy children whose families have used our services during the year. It is heartwarming to see families have a joyous ending to one of the most difficult years of their lives."

For information on how you can get involved and be a 'Secret Santa' to an abused child, contact the Child Advocacy Center. In Rutherford County contact Jennifer Gamble at (615) 867-9000 and in Cannon County contact Amanda Pruitt at (615) 563-9915.