7-year-old boy in Texas shelter writes Santa letter asking for a heart-wrenching gift
A Texas boy penned a letter to Santa asking for something a lot of kids have, but something he doesn’t -- and desperately wants.
The 7-year-old boy wrote that he wants “a very very Very good dad.”
The boy and his mother are staying at SafeHaven of Tarrant County, a North Texas shelter where families who have experienced domestic violence can seek the help and resources they need.
McClatchy News is not identifying the boy to protect his identity.
In the letter to Santa, which his mom found in his backpack, the boy said they had to leave their home because “dad was mad” and they needed a safer place to live.
Kathryn Jacob, President and CEO of SafeHaven, said because of the letter, the outpouring of support the shelter has received is immense.
“What’s really impressive is the outpouring of support for domestic violence victims,” Jacob said. “Similar stories from around the country identify with [the boy’s] story, which is kind of sad.”
While the letter to Santa evokes feelings of sympathy and sadness, Jacob says domestic violence is a year-round problem.
“When the Christmas lights have gone away and music stops playing, kids will still be in our shelters,” she said. “We will continue to keep our people safe while holding offenders accountable.”
Domestic violence, Jacob said, is one of Tarrant County’s “dirty little secrets.”
She said more than “80 percent of people who have been in our shelter have been victims of strangulation by their intimate partner and often times, their children witnessed the act.”
Fort Worth and Arlington are the largest cities in Tarrant County, which has a population of about 2 million.
The boy asked for other more traditional gifts in his letter, and people across the country have responded with donations, including 15-to-20 compasses, one of the items the boy asked Santa to bring.
How to help
Those interested in donating and supporting the shelter can do so at www.safehaventc.org.
This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 5:22 PM.