BOSTON -- For families experiencing homelessness, the prospect of getting Christmas gifts for their children may seem impossible. But thanks to a network of generous donors, St. Mary's Center for Women and Children is able to give that opportunity to dozens of families in their residency programs.

St. Mary's Center is a multi-service organization that supports women and families with the aim of helping them break the cycle of generational poverty. With locations in Dorchester, East Boston, and Roxbury, their services include programs for family shelter, pregnant and parenting teens, transitional housing, and workforce development and adult education. They serve approximately 500 families experiencing homelessness each year.

Jacqueline Batson, the center's communications manager, said that they receive both monetary support and in-kind physical item donations throughout the year.

"Around the holidays, it's no different! Both financial support and physical items are important and so appreciated by our team," she said in an email to The Pilot.

This December, the center provided Christmas gifts to 80 families and 116 children in their residential shelter programs.

To do this, they had the families complete "wish lists" of particular items they wanted, such as toys, clothes, and books. The center received help from many community partners to supply the gifts, including organizations like Amazon, Expressway Toyota, Iron Mountain, Mass. General Brigham, Harvard University, the McKeon Post, and many local church groups.

Volunteers put up Christmas decorations and set up the donated items, organizing them by age group, to create a shopping experience for the families. Among the volunteers were members of the Center's Women's Partnership Program and staff members from Amazon's community engagement team.

Parents were then able to browse and pick out items to give as gifts for their children.

"We are thrilled to be able to fulfill their specific wishes and provide parents with the opportunity to shop for their kiddos and themselves through a variety of toys, games, arts and crafts, books, etc. It seems small, but being able to provide opportunities for celebration and happiness for our residents is huge for us and we are so grateful for the support of all who make this possible each year," Batson said.

St. Mary's Center President Alexis Steel said they are "incredibly grateful for the enormous generosity shown to our families around the holidays."

"Families come to St. Mary's Center in many different ways, and since the center's founding in 1993, we are incredibly proud to be able to support our families, who are experiencing homelessness, deep poverty, and trauma, with moments of celebration and joy, especially around the holidays," she said.

More information about St. Mary's Center for Women and Children is available at stmaryscenterma.org.