`ANGELS' CAN HAPPILY HELP ABUSED CHILDREN IN L.A.

Byline: Claire Merriam Hoffman LOCAL VIEW

A gift from a stranger to a child who has nothing does change lives.

Last year on the Angel Tree sitting in the sanctuary of my church, there was a gift request from a teen-age girl known only as J. She is one of 75,000 children who are looked after by the Los Angeles Department of Children's Services. She had been abused by her mother, repeatedly raped by her mother's boyfriend and even abused by her brother. She had been moved to her grandmother's house only to become a punching bag for her grandmother and aunt.

Last year, despite the fact that J lived in a loving foster home, she was described by her social worker as ``a quiet, inward-drawn 14-year-old who hardly speaks, a beautiful child who truly doesn't know how pretty she is.'' Betrayal by all her family members had shattered her self-esteem as well as her belief that she could be loved. It's no wonder J thought no one cared about her.

But last year's gift from our Angel Tree changed J's attitude about people and about life. Someone gave her a very generous gift certificate to a national chain and, with joy, J used the money to buy herself a portable phone. It's the thing all teen-age girls want.

The thrill of having money of her own to purchase a dream gift is an experience that left an indelible mark. J's phone is now her prized possession, and her foster parents have agreed to pay the bill. This once-quiet child talks on the phone constantly. Her choice of a gift opened her life to friends and the sisterhood of gossip that teen-age girls enjoy.

There have been other changes in J because of this gift. Along with the opening of her shell came the realization that somebody really cared about her. When talking about Christmas this year, she told her social worker that now she believes in the goodness of mankind because ``I can trust them to thrill me again.''

Sadly, J still worries that she is just a number on a list. While her social worker and her foster parents are trying to reassure her otherwise, the scars that she has received from her past are very deep and will take a long time to heal. But J has made the first step by opening herself to trust and hope, two commodities that are beaten out of abused kids at a very young age.

Social workers fight to guide children toward a happy and productive life. Unfortunately, the path is most often full of land mines left by their abusive families. Many children harbor deep resentments and anger because of mistreatment by those who should have loved them. Not every child will succeed in surviving the wounds of the past, but gifts that help these children trust those who care for them are perhaps the most important gifts we can give.

This is the last year that J's name will appear on our Angel Tree. Her foster parents, who love her, have taken legal guardianship.

J is a success story. But for every child like J, there are thousands who are still in need of generosity from strangers like you.

Angel Trees and other giving opportunities are in many malls, churches, synagogues and temples around Los Angeles. If you can't find one, you are welcome to send brand-new gifts, checks and gift certificates to the offices of the Department of Children Services. Last year the caseworkers were thrilled by the generous donations given by Daily News readers. Now is your chance to do it again.

To set up an Angel Tree, contact Brenda Trunzo with the Valley Interfaith Council Adopt a Child-Abuse Caseworker Program at [phone].

For direct donations to the Department of Children's Services, contact Susan Jakubowski at [phone]. Children's Services is located at 12020 Chandler Blvd., North Hollywood CA 91607.