Christmas is a season filled with familiar images — warm lights, shared meals, quiet moments of reflection, and the comfort of being surrounded by people who care. For the children in our shelters, this season carries an even deeper meaning.

Many of the children we serve arrived after seasons of loss, fear, or uncertainty. Some have lost parents or grandparents. Others were left to fend for themselves far too young. By the time they reach our shelters, they are often carrying more than any child should.

Christmas at Project Nic is not about excess or spectacle.
It is about safety.
It is about belonging.
It is about the quiet assurance that they are no longer alone.

In our shelters, Christmas looks like warm meals shared together, clean clothes, familiar routines, and caregivers who remain present and steady. It looks like children resting without fear, laughing freely, and beginning to trust again. It looks like hope taking root in places that once felt fragile.

This season, we pause to thank you.

Because of your generosity, children are safe tonight.
Because of your compassion, they are cared for with dignity.
Because of your faithfulness, they are surrounded by love — not just on Christmas Day, but every day of the year.

From all of us at Project Nic, thank you for being part of this story. May your Christmas be filled with peace, gratitude, and the quiet joy that comes from knowing love is reaching exactly where it’s needed most.