Adopt-a-Family: Making a Difference This Holiday Season
The holidays are a special time for families. For many of us, they are some of our happiest memories and moments; a time to slow down, to spread warmth and kindness, and to be together.
But for families in need, the holidays can be a time of stress and anxiety. The hard reality is that not all children and families will get to experience the kind of holiday season many of us take for granted. Having food on the table and gifts for their family is simply out of reach for many in our community.
At Closer to Home, we believe that every family deserves to experience a holiday season without worry and stress.
That’s why, for many years, our Adopt-a-Family program has helped thousands of families lift the worry of not being able to afford a holiday celebration.
With the help of donors like you, 400 vulnerable families this year will have the support they need to purchase food, basic necessities like hygiene products and gifts during the holiday season.
Thanks to our donors, we’ve made a difference for people like TJ, a dad of a family of 6 from Nigeria, unable to work because of COVID and with a new baby at home. And Alicia, a single mom of 3 and a survivor of domestic violence who wants nothing more than for her kids to one day be independent and never experience feeling trapped. And Steven, a single dad who has benefitted from several programs offered by Closer to Home and looks forward to one day being able to become a donor to the Adopt-a-Family program himself.
Through Adopt-a-Family, we match our donors with a family in our local community. Your donations are used to provide gift cards rather than physical gifts, empowering families to make their own choices about what they need most. Families are also not restricted to the holiday season and can choose to conserve their gift cards for other celebrations like birthdays or religious observances at other times of the year.
But beyond the gift cards, Adopt-a-Family lets families know that someone cares and that the community is with them.
Knowing you are not forgotten, that you can rely on the kindness of strangers, is what we believe the holiday season is truly about. When you support Adopt-a-Family, you’re giving families a connection to their community and the strength in knowing they are seen and supported.
“We feel loved, even though we don’t know who the donors are. No words can express how we felt. We felt special. We felt welcomed.”
Not only does Adopt-a-Family support those in need during the holiday season, but it also impacts families throughout the year with a portion of every gift going towards Seasons of Hope. This allows Closer to Home to provide flexible support year-round (or any time of year) when a family is facing an unexpected setback so they can continue their journey.
We are grateful for every donor who has made Adopt-a-Family and Seasons of Hope possible. We would also like to sincerely thank our 2021 sponsors, Lexus of Calgary, Tourmaline, Pacific Cambrian Energy, ELM Inc., and Essential Energy.
We are proud of the difference we have made together, but there is much more work to do.
Please, donate today and help us continue to make a difference for families in need of community support and a sense of belonging during the holidays.
