Six-year-old Harley Pakuris is treating Christmas as a wish list for other people. The Woonsocket girl wants food and clothing to reach children and mothers in homeless shelters, and she wants to deliver the donations herself.
Her mother, Shawnalee Gonzalez, and her grandmother, Nicole Marvelle, are helping her do it. The Valley Breeze reports that the family plans to deliver items on Dec. 19 to shelters in Woonsocket and surrounding communities. It has identified four shelters as possible recipients. Marvelle said the family hopes to reach as many as it can.
A Wish That Started Last Year
This is not a December brainstorm. Harley first conceived the donation idea in 2025. Gonzalez said her daughter asked Santa for many different things to give away, and that she wanted to help people living outside. Harley has said helping is fun.
Marvelle said Harley wants to help as many people as she can, and that the family wants to make the Christmas wish come true. Gonzalez said Harley eventually wants to help people beyond the surrounding area. The trip now on the calendar stays local, and Harley plans to hand the items over herself.
The Valley Breeze also reported that the Museum of Work & Culture donated admissions allowing children to visit the museum for free.
Boxes In Blackstone And Woonsocket
The family plans to place donation boxes at Betty's Donuts in Blackstone, Amazing Deals in Woonsocket, and Cercle Laurier Social Club in Woonsocket. People offering a collection box, or items for pickup, can contact Gonzalez at 401-309-2480 or Marvelle at 508-726-0626.
Food and clothing were the heart of the original wish. The donations being gathered may include new clothes, toys, shoes, blankets and other items. They must be unwrapped so the family can make sure they are appropriate before passing them along.
A Smaller Total, More People Outside
A January 2025 statewide count moved in two directions at once. On the night of Jan. 21, Rhode Island counted at least 2,373 unhoused people, down 2.8% from 2,442 in 2024, Rhode Island Current reported.
The outdoor number rose. That count included 618 people whose primary residence was a car, tent, abandoned building or other outdoor space, up from 534 in 2024. The increase is 84 people, more than 15%. Beds did not follow. Rhode Island had 1,826 shelter beds available in January 2025, 71 fewer than the previous year.
Cumberland Street, Then Clinton Street
WPRI reported that OpenDoors, a local nonprofit, opened a permanent emergency shelter on Cumberland Street on Nov. 1 after months of delays. The shelter can accommodate up to 50 people.
City officials said the Cumberland Street shelter would provide 50 beds and the Clinton Street shelter 40. Approximately 180 beds across five facilities, including the Woonsocket Family Shelter, Harvest Community Church and the Dignity Bus, would be available in the city that season.
If The Family Collects Again
After this drop-off, the next steps are still maybes. If the family collects donations again next year, it may organize a one-day pickup location. It may also establish a nonprofit called Harley's Christmas Wish.
The date that is actually set is Dec. 19. Until then, an unwrapped item can go into one of the three planned boxes, and a call about a box or a pickup still reaches Gonzalez or Marvelle. Harley plans to take the delivery in herself.
