Strengthening the Bonds Broken by Domestic Violence One Present at a Time

For children living in domestic violence shelters, a present can be more than just a box with a bow – it can mean the gift of normalcy and joy at a time in their lives when those feelings are in short supply.  

 “It’s hard to feel happy when you’re scared all the time, but getting a gift and baking a cake on my birthday made me smile and forget about everything else,” says Evan, 12, a PRESENT NOW gift recipient.

PRESENT NOW is the only nonprofit organization of its kind, serving youth living in temporary domestic violence shelters with new, age-appropriate, curated personalized gifts that help parents rekindle nurturing and positive relationships and environments with their children to help them reach their full health and life potential.

Each gift from the Presents Program helps bring a sense of stability and fosters healing during what is often a tumultuous time while living in temporary housing. 

The birthday present includes an outfit, toy, book, a restaurant gift card, and a cake supply bundle so families can bake a birthday cake together. The back-to-school present includes a new backpack filled with supplies for a successful school year, and a STEAM learning gift, sent around Valentine’s Day and Superbowl Sunday, two holidays that coincide with a high prevalence of domestic violence. 

The impact of these presents is felt long after children have left the interim housing shelters. Ana, 22, who arrived at a shelter with her family at age 16, remembers not wanting to celebrate her birthday that year. She didn’t want to add pressure on her mom or spend money they didn’t have. But PRESENT NOW’s gift changed that. 

“We got to bake my birthday cake together, as a family, and we were able to celebrate my special day at IHOP… I was so surprised to get such a huge box filled with presents that were picked out just for me. It’s a memory that I will always cherish,” remembers Ana. “Their gift gave me hope and brought me and my family much needed happiness and joy during a very difficult time.” 

Melanie Neumann and Erica Fisher founded PRESENT NOW in 2012 to help children while visiting a domestic violence shelter. They observed that most families escaping violence had to abandon their entire lives, leaving most everything behind, and shelters can generally only provide bare necessities due to limited resources. This experience inspired the mission of PRESENT NOW. They started by storing gifts in their garages and delivering 118 presents to two L.A.-based shelters. 

Twelve years later, from their new warehouse space, PRESENT NOW has delivered more than 18,000 presents to 147 shelters in 15 states. But there are still many more youth and families in need of care and resources to thrive and rebuild.

“When you’re a kid and you’re removed from your home and everything is just up in the air, being able to celebrate normal holidays and milestones really helps them move past all that trauma and look toward the future,” says Jessica Partida, Director of Development.