Adopt a Family for the Holdays

[maltia13]

Hi everyone,

I would like some ideas on finding a family to adopt for holidays...

I know this is a little early...but I want to get things going by finding out some alternatives so that I can present them to my co-workers...

All your ideas are welcome!

[screamy]

At our offices we get in touch with the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Normally I'm not big on religious organizations and their charitable work because I always feel like there's a catch with their help - although there probably isn't, at least in the majority of cases - but the StVdeP will always hear from me at the holidays.

A few years ago, they matched us with a family of five - mom, dad, and kids 13, 11 and 4. They had come to Canada, I believe as refugees, and had outright refused to use the social safety net that was available to them - Dad, who didn't speak a lot of English, wanted to work and didn't want to "be a burden".

I'll never forget it, because apparently the family came to the attention of the Society when the youngest was enrolled in kindergarten. At nap time, they all had mats of some kind to sleep on, and he told the teacher he loved sleeping at school because at home he had to sleep on the floor, and there was no heat or blankets. He didn't know what a mattress was.

None of them had winter clothes, and the two teenagers (a boy and a girl) had outgrown whatever they did have for regular clothes, but they couldn't get new ones, and forget about whether or not they were in style (remember what you were like as a teenager? That would be a BFD, especially if you were new and trying to fit in).

I, on the other hand, had been whining to a colleague just that morning that I didn't like my new $50 hair dryer (which I got on a redemption at SDM of course, but still!), because I didn't like the buttons on it. Waaaaaaaah.

All I could think of was, my God - how bad was whatever you left that you came to a foreign country, knowing you didn't speak the language, knowing you probably wouldn't be able to find work right away, if at all, and knowing that your kids would not have even the basics they needed - how can the world have places and situations where Canada, in abject poverty and under those circumstances, is better??

I never got to meet them, but they changed my life - and a lot more than I helped to change theirs with some clothes and food, for sure. I knew before then that I won the lottery just by being born here, but now anyone I hear complaining about taxes, our political system, or just about anything else Canadian, gets told that story.

Also, I whine a lot less.

[coolgirl]

very interesting story!!!

[screamy]

I keep waiting for someone to post "tl; dr". LOL.

[jennifer35]

Hey
I am one the families that go to St. Vincent de Paul Society for christmas help every year as i am on a fixed income and it has always made my christmas a better one for my kids as the kids are getting older and stuff is going higher in prices just trying to buy the winter clothes and christmas dinner is tuff is hard so getting help has been a blessing and i think you helping families like mine is amazing and i just want to say THANK YOU as we never get to know who the people are that help .

[screamy]

Awww!! That's lovely to hear Jennifer. I know they're very careful about not letting donors and recipients get to know one another - we had asked for information on what language the people in the story above currently spoke, thinking we'd get them English/whatever dictionaries, and maybe some reading material in their native language, and we weren't even allowed to have that.

On one hand, it sucked, because dictionaries are expensive and would probably have been useful to them, but on the other hand, I was quite impressed by how well they protected the privacy of the recipients.

They didn't even give us first names (I guess because we might have been able to make educated guesses based on them...?); I got the vaguest of impressions that they were probably from a Spanish-speaking country, and figured Central or Latin America just based on their urgent need for warm clothing and the fact that they were refugees as opposed to immigrants. There were some truly nasty civil war type issues going on in the area in a few countries at the time.

Anyway - the one other point I wanted to make was that older kids tend to get adopted less often, because they aren't as "cute" to buy for. Let's face it - shopping for kids under the age of six is a lot of fun, they're adorable. Teens are also more capable of understanding the lack of presents from an intellectual point of view...but it still sucks.

Since there's no real way to know what they might like (body wash etc. sets are all fine and good, but would they be the right "flavour", etc.), I always grab those Cineplex movie GCs at Costco - they're sold at a discount to the face value, although the cost escapes me ATM - and get unscented or lightly scented toiletries and some candy for them.

[jennifer35]

I understand the privacy thing i know when i went through the boys and girls club for christmas help all they ask was that we dropped a thank you card off after the holidays so they could give it to the family that adopted us for christmas which i do every year but last year some how they got mixed up we are allowed 3 gifts each and a list of clothes the kids need but a family i guess adopted more then one family because my daughter got nothing not even the winter clothes and my son got one present and nothing else we didn't even get a hamper for christmas dinner so it was tough last year i know about the ages mine are 12 and 15 but with the clothes they always put the gift recipt incase they don't fit or they don't like the style they can exchange them and gift cards are always good .

[screamy]

I understand the privacy thing i know when i went through the boys and girls club for christmas help all they ask was that we dropped a thank you card off after the holidays so they could give it to the family that adopted us for christmas which i do every year but last year some how they got mixed up we are allowed 3 gifts each and a list of clothes the kids need but a family i guess adopted more then one family because my daughter got nothing not even the winter clothes and my son got one present and nothing else we didn't even get a hamper for christmas dinner so it was tough last year i know about the ages mine are 12 and 15 but with the clothes they always put the gift recipt incase they don't fit or they don't like the style they can exchange them and gift cards are always good .

Oh, man, that blows!

And good call on the gift receipt thing, I'd never thought of that, which is stupid, because I do it for my family. Duh. I always get all fussed over whether it's the right colour, or size, as if there was any way I'd be able to guess. And I suppose the people who are getting the items understand that the donors (at least in my case) go to Walmart or Zellers or whatever to get the biggest bang for their buck so that they can give as much as possible....no sense going to Holts and getting a pair of socks when you can hit WM and get three outfits for the same price!!

[jennifer35]

yes it blows i just hope if i get help this years it works out . and the gift receipt works great i know what you mean about shopping at walmart or zellers for clothes way more bag for your buck

[maddimatt]

Hi, I saw your message and I was wondering when you find the different agencies out there that offer it,could you let me know please. I am a single mom of 3 great kids, but due to my seperation and my full time job going to part time, christmas isn't looking too good. Thanks so much. Michelle

[jennifer35]

well if anyone decides they want to adopted my family for christmas it would be great as this is the toughest time of year for us i am just putting it out there

[frugette]

Hello Everyone!
I'm looking for a non-profit organization to adopt-a-family.
Last year my friends, family and coworkers dropped off a tuck load of gifts to CP24 christmas wish which is awesome, but this year we'd like to make it a little more personal.

I'm looking for a Toronto based organization... any ideas?

Thanks for your help!

[[email protected]]

If you are looking for a family to adopt for Christmas I would appreciate consideration. I had an accident two years ago where I fell from a second story building and shattered my heels and broke to bones in my wrist. I have had five surgeries and it has been a difficult year. I have two children, one who turned 18 this year and one who will be turning 15 on Dec. 8. My oldest daughter is having some emotional difficulties and we are getting her the help she needs. Last year there were no gifts under our tree and it took quite a toll on us. If you would like to know more, please feel free to email.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.