Charitable agency steps up with annual adopt-a-family program
By Jason Arndt
Editor
For hundreds of Racine County families, Christmas can be a challenging time of the year, considering the financial difficulties they face.
Love Inc., however, has found a way to offer them hope for the holidays through its Adopt-a-Family program.
The program anonymously pairs up eligible families with community sponsors, like businesses, churches and organizations, according to Executive Director Barbara Howard.
Howard, who said Adopt-a-Family is just one part of its Christmas program, reports 460 families received assistance this season.
“Every one of those families were adopted,” Howard said. “We have some companies, organizations, even families will adopt multiple families.”
“It is such a generous community.”
The community steps in after families who meet income requirements complete a form, which outlines areas of need for each child, including ages and gender.
Additionally, those eligible could write down family-friendly ideas, like movie passes and general activities.
Each family, according to Howard, is placed in a notebook for sponsors to view when they arrive to Love, Inc. to choose from.
“It is all anonymous, the people who are adopting don’t know who the recipients are and the recipients don’t know who is actually giving them these gifts,” Howard said. “They will come in and open the notebook and they will choose the families based on, you know if you want a family with two children, you would go through the book and find a family with two children.”
She said some sponsors choose multiple families.
Program and Volunteer Director Ben Mitchell said sponsors spend, at most, $60 per child.
The sponsors, who have lists in hand, fulfill the Christmas wishes of families by purchasing needed items and bringing them to Love, Inc. for distribution.
In return, families are asked to write a note of thanks to their sponsors, both Mitchell and Howard said.
Mitchell believes the Adopt-a-Family program shines a light on positives within the community.
“We get to see both sides of the coin, the generosity, the need and the gratitude people have,” he said. “When it comes to this program, you get to see all of the people in that community that come out and help their neighbors.”
While toys are the primary item for children, adults in each family receive gifts, like pots and pans.
To read the entire story see the Dec. 27 edition of the Burlington Standard Press or the Dec. 28 editions of the Waterford Post and Westine Report.
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