MAKING CHRISTMAS MERRIER
Adopt a Family program lends helping hand to those in need
Adopt a Family program lends helping hand to those in need.
It’s a program that most people would probably wish would no longer be needed but are grateful that it exists.
Sydney’s Every Woman’s Centre is again looking for support for its annual Adopt a Family program and is putting out a call to anyone who would like to take on the task of making Christmas a happier time for those who need a little help during the season. It anonymously matches community donors with parents who need help in providing wishes for their children.
Wanda Earhart, who co-ordinates the program, said the number of families that have signed up for it this year is on par with past year, at about 600, with referrals from agencies still being received.
“People suffer throughout the year, just trying to buy groceries and everyday things, personal care products … so at Christmas time it’s added pressure to parents who are already struggling, for sure,” she said. “I’ve heard people say, ‘If we can make it a special day for one day of the year, it makes a difference.’”
And while many families are struggling in a region where a third of children live below the poverty line, Earhart noted that, in talking to donors, they are also often feeling the pinch economically.
“There’s quite a difference, over the past couple of years, certainly,” she said. “In the past, people were able to take large families or a number of families, but it’s a struggle for everyone. They’re still supporting the program, certainly, but on a smaller scale. People have smaller staffs, kind of thing.”
In spite of those challenges, community support has always been strong for the program, Earhart noted, adding some people choose to take on adopting a family rather than exchanging gifts themselves.
“People have what they need and if they need something they can go and purchase it themselves, so instead of doing that they’ll come in and take a family,” she said. “They really take it personal, they go and they shop for families and make an evening out of it.”
Parents are asked to give a couple of options for potential gifts for their children and Earhart said they try to ensure everyone is treated equitably.
Adopt a Family belongs to The Christmas Network, which is comprised of Every Woman’s Centre, The Salvation Army and the food banks on the Northside, and parents sign a release to allow the organizations to share lists with each other in order to stand by the integrity of the programs, Earhart noted.
When a family requests it, assistance for Christmas dinner is also provided. Earhart noted that is another important source of relief for many families at a difficult time of year.
“In a lot of cases, for Mom, that’s most important,” she said. “To be able to go to a store and not have to worry about having enough and putting things back and that kind of thing. At least for Christmas Day they can go and get all of the trimmings and whatever kind of things they like to eat.”
When circumstances change for a family that was once a recipient under the program, they often want to give back by becoming donors, Earhart noted.
Earhart believes the profile of the Adopt a Family program has been raised as the community has in recent years become more aware of the issue of poverty in Cape Breton.
Call the centre at 902-5671212 or email wandaearhart.swcproject@gmail.com for more information.