NATCHEZ — One local agency has made things better for 34 area children this Christmas season.

The Sunshine Shelter is helping abused and neglected children in the area, and the shelter’s Executive Director Matilda Stephens said she hopes to reach out and help more.

The Sunshine Shelter provides temporary housing along with psychological, medical and dental services for children from birth to 18 years old who have been removed from abusive situations.

“Our primary goal is to stabilize their environment and them personally,” Stephens said.

Stephens said children receive counseling and undergo screenings that help the Department of Human Services when placing children in more permanent living situations, since children can only stay at the shelter for 45 days.

Stephens said children are dealing with a lot when they arrive at the shelter, and it is the shelter’s job to help them deal with these feelings.

Stephens also said the Sunshine Shelter works with the Court Appointed Special Advocate Association.

“We correspond with a lot of their kids,” she said. “We are going to be working to get gifts for their children as well as for ours for Christmas.”

Stephens said anyone in the community who wants to help out the Sunshine Shelter or CASA can do so in a number of ways.

Monetary donations are always acceptable to help cover operational expenses, Stephens said.

Another item Stephens said anyone can donate is a suitcase, new or used.

“A lot of kids come here and they bring their clothes with them in a garbage bag,” she said. “It is one of my goals to make sure every kid that leaves here has a suitcase to carry their belongings in.”

Stephens also said paper items like toilet paper and paper towels are also needed for the shelter.

Since it is Christmas time, Stephens said the children are always in need of gifts, and donations of toys are always accepted.

“We need presents for children up to the age of 12,” she said. “Any type of toy you can donate.”

For shelter members who are older than 12, Stephens said a gift card to an area store usually works best.

“It can be to Walmart or McDonald’s, basically anywhere in the area,” she said. “That way they can go buy their own presents.”

Stephens said anyone who is looking to upgrade their gaming system this year can donate the old system to the shelter also.

“Right now we just have a Nintendo, which is pretty old,” she said. “The children love the game consoles, and a newer one would be great.”

Stephens said canned food items, meat and fish are also items the shelter needs.

Stephens said with the closing of the Salvation Army earlier this year, area charities are going to need as much help as they can get.

“There are a lot of people that are hurting this Christmas,” she said. “Surely someone can buy something for a family that would otherwise go without this year.”