Radunare Italian American Table hosted a Holiday Toast and Gift Drive benefiting Yes to Youth Dec. 17.

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Yes to Youth is an organization that helps battered and abused children by having a residential shelter in which they can stay. Their goal is for the kids they take in to know that they are worthy and valued, and to keep families together. In dedication to this effort, they have mental health counseling centers throughout Montgomery County in which they offer services at no charge.

Dannette Suding, Chief Executive Officer of Yes to Youth, said that this gift drive meant more than some may realize. She said that many of the children at the shelter have never received a gift, and those who have haven’t typically been able to keep it. “There’s kids who have been given a gift and then the next day their parents sell it,” she said. “So this gift will become their gift, and nobody will take it away from them, they’ll have full control over it … so it’s huge,” she said.

Director of Development, Judi Foster, noted that even though these kids have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect, or even for being sex trafficked by their own parents, they still get emotional being away for the holidays. “It is a tough time,” she said. “So this is great to keep their spirits up.”

Besides giving gifts, volunteers can give their time, especially after the holidays once the festivities are done. “Volunteers could come to the shelter and cook a meal play, or a play a board game with the kids,” Suding said. They’ve had people take the kids ice-skating or out to a movie, even something as simple as dropping off donuts in the morning makes a world of difference.

Financial support is a massive help as well. It allows Yes to Youth to continue to provide all of their services for free. “We don’t want anyone to not have access,” Foster said. “We want to take down all the barriers.”

Those in attendance Tuesday, who donated a gift, were given a glass of Prosecco and bites to eat from Radunare Italian American Table. It was a lovely night in celebration of a wonderful cause.