Miss Chattanooga Teen USA, Alayna Bridges, and the Hamilton County Children's Advocacy Center have partnered to gather toy and food donations for the CAC.
The CAC provides direct service to children who are alleged victims of assault and other types of abuse.
"It's a really tough topic for folks to talk about and conceptualize because 90% of the time, the person that hurts children is somebody that they know," said Kristen Pavlik McCallie, the CAC Executive director.
The CAC does what they can to provide children and families with a positive experience.
"Some of that includes making sure that every child that comes through our door, after they've received service, they can get a stuffed animal, a book, a snack, a drink..." said McCallie. "Just really make them feel like it's a place that they want to be at, and that it's a place that isn't scary."
To be able to do this, the CAC takes donations for these items, which Miss Chattanooga Teen USA, Alayna Bridges, has taken initiative of.
"I'm working with the Children's Advocacy Center of Hamilton County, raising snacks and toys to help the children," Bridges said.
She said working with the CAC is very important to her.
“Things happen to children way too often, and it's not going to stop anytime soon. Crime is not going to stop anytime soon, but to be able to have advocates for our children...that's going to change your lives," Bridges said. "As a victim, myself, as a child, I went to an advocacy center, and I can't tell you how much help they provided me. I want to give back what was provided to me when I was a victim.”
McCallie said so much of why kids feel lonely is the shame attached to issues of abuse.
"When someone who is as bright and as beautiful, as Alayna says, 'this happened to me,' it can be really empowering for another kid to hear," McCallie said. "It might encourage them to say, 'this happened to me, too,' and get them connected where they need to be."
Bridges said that if she didn’t have the help she was offered, she wouldn’t be the person she is today.
"If I can just provide that little bit of help for the nonprofit... it goes a long way," Bridges said.
Bridges says she is taking donations now through March.
To donate play room supplies items on the CAC's wish list, click here, and ship to 5705 Uptain Rd, Chattanooga, TN, 37411.
To donate snacks on the CAC's wish list, click here, and ship to 5705 Uptain Rd, Chattanooga, TN, 37411.
To contact Bridges directly, email Agracebri@gmail.com.
"My goal is to really fill up the amount was on Amazon wish lists, but I just want to bring in as much as we can," Bridges said.
McCallie said, "I think the stuffed animals and the snacks are really big deal, and the fact that we have a drive going on for that will be really impactful. We often need playdough and art supplies for our therapeutic programs."
Bridges said her hope is that less children are traumatized.
"I just want every child to grow up and be happy, and they don't have the struggles of PTSD," Bridges said.
