Beaverton mom is grateful for holiday gifts from non-profit organizations

BEAVERTON Hours. (KPTV) – A Beaverton woman is grateful for the gifts she and her daughter received through a nonprofit organization.

Youth Villagesa nonprofit organization, helps children and young adults as they age out of foster care.

Through the Holiday Heroes campaign, the organization fulfills holiday wish lists for families who can’t afford gifts.

Beaverton native Marlia Johnson was first introduced to Youth Villages at age 18.

Marlia was raised primarily by her aunt and uncle. She said that at the age of 14 she was kicked out of the house. She said she then bounced from her grandmother’s house to youth detention centers.

“I had to go to prison for my entire teenage years because my parents didn’t want to take me anymore,” Marlia said.

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During this time, many holidays would pass and Marlia would not see her family.

At 18, she was accepted into Youth Villages’ Independent Living Program (ILP) and introduced to program specialist Emily Kelly. During the program, Kelly helped Marlia secure a two-bedroom apartment for her and her daughter, Keyari.

“Emily is consistent in asking if I need help finding jobs, food resources, housing, furniture — anything,” Marlia said.

This year, Youth Villages gave Marlia a vacuum cleaner and Keyari received a children’s chair tower.

The organization hosted a gift opening party where ILP youth could receive gifts for themselves and their children. Marlia, who said the holidays are often bittersweet, told FOX12 that she and Keyari found a family of their own in the Youth Villages.

“Keyari was born around Thanksgiving and Christmas, so it was like God saying to me, ‘Hey, there’s something beautiful about this. Yes, life was hard back then, but now it’s beautiful,’” Marlia said.