MESA, Ariz. — This gift you won't find in a stocking or under the tree. It's a home for the holidays.
The Meraki Youth Home is more than just a house tucked into a quaint Mesa neighborhood. It's safety and support for young girls who need it most.
The home shelters ten girls ages 11 to 17. Some of them are waiting to be reunited with their families while others are searching for new forever homes.
This home got a little warmer and filled with a little more cheer Friday night. The girls went downstairs to find wrapped presents piled up in the living room, stockings stuffed to their brims and five brand new shiny bikes.
About $3,000 worth of gifts were donated to the girls of the Meraki Youth Home. The effort was led by Lauren Davis, a Carrington College student, Meraki Youth Home employee and adoptive mother.
“To me, that was a rewarding experience because they are like an extension of my family because I spend so much time here," Davis said.
Davis said her college wanted to spread a little holiday cheer, and she knew some girls who could use some.
“The best Christmas ever would be for them to be with their family and loved ones, but unfortunately that’s not an option for them this year, so we just try to give them an opportunity to enjoy it the best they could with what they have,” Davis said.
Davis called on the community to help get the girls presents. And donations poured in. They even landed a grant from the #LoveUp Foundation for the new bikes.
Davis said you don't have to foster a child to help create a home for one.
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. And it’s not everybody's calling, I realize that, but this I think shows that there are a lot of ways for us to support foster care without actually being a foster parent," Davis said.