It was a jolly day for the little patients of the University of Florida Center for HIV/AIDS Research, Education and Service (UF CARES). Thirty children infected or affected by HIV were showered with gifts during the holiday season. Gifts were donated by Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church. This event has been reoccurring for the past 20 years.
Sandy Barata, member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church and administrative director in the Department of Pediatrics at University of Florida, College of Medicine – Jacksonville, organized this year’s event to ensure children seen at the clinic would have something under the tree on Christmas morning.
“This is the first year that Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church has assisted me organizing the event. The last 19 years, St. John’s Church in Atlantic Beach, Florida donated the gifts,” said Barata. “It gives me great pride to help because our children deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Children should never feel that they are not remembered or nurtured. It gives us all a blessing when we bless our children.”
On December 13, Barata, her family and members from her church drove a truck to the clinic that was filled with gifts ready to be delivered.
“It touches me deeply to see how many people are willing to give so much time and effort to help others. Words cannot express our gratitude to the congregation for their generosity,” said Bonita Drayton, director of social services at UF CARES.
Drayton said the kids made a wish list and were told to write down five items valued at $25 each that they would like for Christmas. Most of the gifts were delivered by the UF CARES staff to homes and a few were picked up by parents or guardians.
Drayton said that this event was a blessing to the children and their families.
“We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support that the church has given us,” explained Drayton. “Without the generous donations, most of these children would not have had anything.”
UF CARES is the only comprehensive, family centered program in North Florida and Southeast Georgia that serves adults, adolescents, children and pregnant women who are infected or affected by HIV.
More information about UF CARES is available at http://www.hscj.ufl.edu/ufcares/.