Helping Free the World from Domestic Violence
Dedicated to the Life and Legacy of
Alina Sheykhet
Our team began with Yan and Elly, bereaved parents of Alina Sheykhet.
Their world was turned upside down when their only daughter fell victim to the horror that is domestic violence. A loving daughter, supportive sister, proud aunt, devoted friend, talented dancer, and intelligent college student – Alina is far more than a victim and a statistic of domestic violence. Her loved ones vowed to make a difference in her memory. Through the devastation, Elly and Yan turned their grief into motivation to begin something beautiful. They founded Alina’s Light, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
UPCOMING EVENT
Christmas Lunch with Santa 2025
Reserve your spot and join us for the fun—register now for Christmas Lunch With Santa!
this coming February
Designer Purse Giveaway 2026
This yearly fundraiser helps us sponsor lifesaving SOS devices for victims of domestic violence.
mission, services, and core values
What We Do
Our Mission
Our mission is to honor Alina’s legacy by raising awareness, promoting domestic violence education, and providing emotional and social support to our communities.
Education
To break the silence and raise awareness surrounding domestic violence and its effects, we are educating our communities with presentations at schools and other organizations.
Prevention
We help prevent violence through the sponsorship of life-saving SOS-devices and advocacy for law reform through Alina’s Law.
Support
We stand in solidarity with survivors, victims, and communities through monetary donations, visits to shelters, social support, and a yearly scholarship fund in Alina's name.
Healing
Our team provides support to individuals dealing with the effects of grief and trauma through workshops, counseling, support groups, and an art-based program called Healing Arts Program.
Advocacy
We work to help victims understand abusive situations, linking them to community services and protection or helping them establish safety plans.
Our team is here to support survivors, honor victims, and be a voice for those who have been silenced.
Community
To facilitate community-wide healing we organize family-friendly community events. Our most uplifting summer event is our annual 5K Walk & Run for Love, while, in the winter, we host our heartwarming Lunch with Santa event.
Kindness
We lead our nonprofit organization with kindness as our core value. Honoring Alina’s memory, we spread light through acts of generosity and love.
Newsletter
Stay up to date with all things Alina’s Light including upcoming events, fundraising updates, advocacy, ways you can get involved, and more.
Recognition
Proud Recipients of the Sherley & Ted Craig Humanitarian Award
October 7th:
Alina's Light Day
social media
Follow our Journey
Attention to all purse lovers! Alina‘s light’ purse findraiser is officially open!
All purses have been designated their day and you can see what they all look like here:
Thank you to our wonderful Jill for putting together this fun girly fundraiser! 💜👜👜👜
https://alinaslight.com/purse-fundraiser/
The photos from Christmas Lunch With Santa are now ready for you to take home. Head to our gallery and download all the wonderful moments we captured together - every Santa hug, every smile, every bit of magic from that afternoon. These are the memories that matter, the ones you can hold onto and share with the people you love.
All the printed photos you received during the event are also available in digital form, so you have them all in one place. Download freely and share as much as you want. These images belong with your families.
Thank you for being there. Thank you for bringing your children, for showing up, and for helping us create something real and beautiful. Alina’s Light wouldn’t shine without you.
See Event Page: https://alinaslight.com/christmas-lunch-with-santa/
The cafeteria is quiet now, but a few hours ago it was full of Christmas magic.
Watching kids race between crafts, stories, and hugs, then climb onto Santa’s lap with that mix of shyness and pure excitement, was exactly why this event exists.
It felt so good to see familiar faces, meet new families, and feel everyone come together around Alina’s Light.
Thank you to every parent, kiddo, volunteer, sponsor, and friend who helped fill the room with laughter and warmth today!!!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!
🎅🎅🎅
Today is the last day to register for our Christmas Lunch With Santa tomorrow!
Online registration closes tonight at 9 pm, but you can still buy tickets at the door.
Come make some Christmas magic with us – Santa, characters, activities for the kids, gifts, and a cozy afternoon together. See you there and thank you for supporting Alina’s Light.
🎟️
https://www.eventzilla.net/e/christmas-lunch-with-santa-2138681462
Yesterday we had the joy of delivering Christmas gifts to local families who needed a little extra light this season, all wrapped with love from Alina’s Light.
Moments like this are exactly why our Christmas Lunch With Santa matters so much – proceeds from this Sunday’s event help us make sure more children and their families can celebrate Christmas with smiles, surprises, and the feeling that someone cares.
If you haven’t grabbed your tickets yet, there’s still time to join us and be part of this giving.
https://www.eventzilla.net/e/christmas-lunch-with-santa-2138681462
Christmas Lunch With Santa is this Sunday, and there’s still time to join us.
Come spend the afternoon at Montour High School Cafeteria from 11–2, let the kids meet Santa, princesses, and superheroes, enjoy games and activities, and know that every ticket helps Alina’s Light bring more joy and safety to children in our community.
Grab your tickets here and celebrate with us:
🎟️https://www.eventzilla.net/e/christmas-lunch-with-santa-2138681462
Christmas Lunch With Santa is just days away, and we’d love to see your family there. This is one of those afternoons where you can relax with a warm meal, watch your kids light up, and feel the season in the best possible way.
When: December 14 | 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Where: Montour High School Cafeteria
What’s happening:
❄️ No line for Santa-we’ll text you when it’s time
❄️ Catered pasta lunch for the whole family
🎅 Santa visit, princesses and superheroes
🎄 Crafts and activities for the kids
🎁 Gifts and fun raffle baskets
Your ticket helps us create a safe, joy-filled space for children in our community while supporting the mission of Alina’s Light.
Can you join us next Sunday?
🎟️ https://www.eventzilla.net/e/christmas-lunch-with-santa-2138681462
Or link in bio
With love,
Alina’s Light
Giving Tuesday makes us think first of our Angel Moms. These are mothers whose arms are forever missing one child, yet they still find the strength to pour love into other people’s children, into our workshops, and into every family who comes to Alina’s Light. They show up with broken hearts and open hands, turning their grief into warmth, creativity, and protection for kids in our community.
If you’ve ever wondered what “giving” really looks like, it looks like them. Today, in honor of our Angel Moms and their children in heaven, we invite you to give in a way that brings joy to children right here at home. Joining us for Christmas Lunch With Santa on December 14 at Montour High School Cafeteria is more than a fun afternoon with pasta, photos with Santa, princesses and superheroes, activities, gifts, and raffle baskets. It’s a way to stand beside these moms, to say that every child deserves a safe, magical childhood.
Your family’s presence is a gift to ours.
Register here or use link in bio
https://www.eventzilla.net/e/christmas-lunch-with-santa-2138681462
The hardest conversations we have with our kids are often the ones that protect their future. At Alina’s Light, we believe every child deserves to grow up knowing that love is safe, respect is non‑negotiable, and violence is never “normal.” Thank you for raising a generation that will recognize the warning signs, speak up for themselves, and walk away from anything that doesn’t feel like real love.
#domesticviolenceprevention #dvawareness
We have this video. It’s Alina giving a birthday toast to her mom Elly.
She’s smiling that smile of hers, the one that took over her whole face. She’s raising her glass and saying the things daughters say when they still believe they’ll have a hundred more chances to say them.
It was her last toast. She didn’t know. None of us did.
We watch it sometimes, especially around the holidays. Not because we’re stuck in the past but because watching her reminds us why we keep going. Her voice. Her laugh. The way she looked at the people she loved.
Thanksgiving is strange when someone is missing. You set one less plate but you feel their absence in every corner of the room. You hear echoes of conversations that won’t happen again. And yet, somehow, you’re supposed to be grateful.
Here’s what we’ve learned: grief and gratitude aren’t opposites. They live in the same place. You can miss someone so much it takes your breath away and still be thankful for every single moment you had. You can cry at the dinner table and still mean it when you say you’re blessed.
We’re grateful for Alina. Not just for who she was but for who she made us become. We’re grateful for every one of you who shows up, shares our posts, comes to our events, and refuses to let another family walk this road alone. We’re grateful for the survivors who trust us with their stories. We’re grateful for the chance to turn the worst thing that ever happened into something that helps.
So today, hold the people you love a little tighter. Call the one you’ve been meaning to call. Say the thing you’ve been putting off. Tomorrow is promised to no one. We learned that the hardest way.
From our table to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.
With love,
Alina’s Light 💜
#alinaslight #sheykhetstrong #domesticviolence #dvawareness
Some families will gather around the table this December with an empty chair. Some kids won`t get to visit Santa this year because money is tight or because they`re starting over in a shelter after leaving everything behind.
Alina loved the holidays. She loved seeing kids light up with excitement and wonder. So every year, we open our doors wide and invite families to come share a meal, laugh with Santa, and just breathe for a few hours.
December 14th at Montour High School, we`re hosting Christmas Lunch With Santa. It`s pasta, photos, games, gifts, and a Santa who takes his time with every single child. He asks what they want for Christmas. He listens. He makes them feel seen.
This isn`t just another holiday event. It`s a place where families can come together and feel the warmth of community without worrying about the cost or the stress. It`s where a mom who`s been through hell can watch her kids smile again. It`s where Alina`s light keeps shining through the laughter of children.
We`re filling up fast. If you`ve been thinking about coming, now`s the time to register. Bring your family. Bring your friends. Come be part of something that matters.
Your kids deserve magic. Your family deserves joy. And we`d be honored to share it with you.
Register here: https://www.eventzilla.net/e/christmas-lunch-with-santa-2138681462
Or use LINK IN BIO!!
See you there.
Seeing young dancers thrive reminds us why we do what we do. Supporting and inspiring the next generation is how Alina’s passion for dance lives on in our community. We are so proud to watch London (our 2025 scholarship recipient) from @danceinkpgh grow, shine, and follow her dreams, knowing that Alina’s Light helps keep even more kids in motion.
To every family and volunteer who believes in the power of art and keeps our mission moving - thank you for making moments like this possible.
#AlinasLight #ArtsScholarship #KeepDancing #AlinasLegacy #InspirationInMotion
