A Traditional Christmas at an Unusual Home

There was a prime rib feast under way in the dining room.

A gingerbread house and table full of sweets were displayed near the tree.

But the heart of the action this Christmas was the playground, where sticky-faced children in their prettiest outfits climbed and slid and tried out new toys.

It was just another Christmas in Irvine--even at Human Options, a shelter for abused women and children.

Its exact location a closely guarded secret, the home in 1999 has provided shelter, support and companionship for some 105 women fleeing abusive relationships and their kids. Yesterday, the 16 mothers and 20 children who live there learned they now also had the support of strangers.

While volunteers--employees and customers from Zov’s Bistro in Tustin--were in the kitchen cooking up supper, the children played with new toys from the faceless donors who had answered their Christmas gift wishes. Several women said this Christmas turned out better than they could have hoped before they left their former homes.

In fact, it was a lot better than Thanksgiving for Patricia and her 14-year-old son. The two landed at the shelter Nov. 24, after she fled her husband and spent about a month at a motel in Anaheim. Patricia had struggled to pay for the motel, which left her with only about $5 for food one week. When a social worker ushered them toward the shelter just days before Thanksgiving, it didn’t feel very much like home.

“It just wasn’t tradition,” Patricia said. “Even the yams weren’t the same.”

Since then, Patricia says, she has been overwhelmed by the care she’s received. “I thought 1/8Christmas 3/8 would be really hard,” but instead it was turning out to be quite a good day, she said.

Her son, on the other hand, was too busy with the basketball and CD player he received from someone--his mother has no idea who--to stop and talk about his time here.

“I was just floored that there was a place this nice,” another mother said.

Snapping photos of her exuberant daughters, 2 and 3 years old, as they entangled themselves in a giant rainbow-colored collapsible toy sphere, she talked about the fear she felt after leaving the man she says sexually abused her toddlers.

“A counselor suggested that I should go to a shelter because my husband was following me,” she said. “I was going from hotel to hotel, quickly going broke.”

Her 60 days at the shelter nearly up, the woman says she will miss the community living and the support of all the other moms and kids.

“Quite honestly, I would pay rent to keep them here if I could,” she said. “The kids are in heaven.”

Even with a supportive family, and a good job to return to after taking a leave of absence, she says she’s a little bit nervous about starting over. But not too nervous to eat Christmas dinner.