
This Christmas morning, the mother who fled domestic abuse can find peace as her child opens gifts in a safe haven.
For a few minutes, the past can drop away, and she can focus on the satisfying rustling of paper pried from package, the warmth of soothing beverages and smiling faces, and the twinkle of lights reflected in a happy child’s eye.
It may not be a permanent home, but many of those at Avalon: A Center for Women and Children do not have anywhere else to go. And with the nonprofit’s annual Adopt-a-Family event, volunteers pledged support to make the best of the holiday season.
“It’s an opportunity to make it so much better for them, even while they’re experiencing other hardships,” said Bridget Casey, Avalon’s director of development. “That we can make this piece really bright and joyful and warm for them, while they’re having to experience living in a homeless shelter.”
Avalon’s donor base adopted 77 women and their children this year, which includes the residents of the emergency shelter and transitional housing, along with many of the center’s outreach clients.
Donors receive a wish list from their paired families, but the focus in recent years has shifted to providing gift cards, Casey said. That allows moms to shop for their own children, giving them the chance to load a cart with toys and the peace of mind knowing what’s under the tree.
“We want to give that to the moms,” Casey said, adding that for many, the resources they are given through adopters are more than they have had in recent years.
To bring its holiday programming beyond the center and into the community, Avalon kicked off its Light Up the Night: A Festival of Trees for the second year Dec. 6.

Trees were decked at the gazebo at the end of Main Street in New Town, each with unique flair by its sponsor. The trees are lit from 5 to 11 p.m. every night through Sunday, to spread light and spark a conversation.
“Domestic violence and sexual assault can sometimes be seen as a scary taboo and no one wants to talk about it, but if you can make it in a way that’s approachable and friendly, you can talk about it in a way that’s not scary,” Casey said.
With a kid-friendly outdoor musical showcase and a reception at New Town Art Gallery, Avalon worked to raise awareness for its variety of services, both residential and outreach. Staff answered questions and, Casey hopes, created a way for residents to remember the organization if they or someone they know needs help.
A fundraiser as well, the festival raised more than $20,000 to support the day-to-day operations of Avalon, including staff at its emergency shelter 24/7.
“We are incredibly grateful to the community, to the greater Williamsburg community, because we are so well-loved,” Casey said.
While the festival and Adopt-a-Family program are wrapping up, Avalon will accept gift cards and other monetary donations all year long, as well as items from its own wish list, which can be found on its website.
Though not the most fun to shop for, Casey said, they are necessities to keep a household running.
“We just have 40 people living in ours,” she said.