Despite what looked like a disastrous holiday season just two weeks ago, for the ninth year in a row, the hard working, dedicated Board of Directors and their volunteers were able to say YES to each and every child whose family asked for help and met the criteria of Adopt-a-Family, Inc.
A total of 2,216 children in 1,059 families received gifts of toys and clothes directly from donors in the community or through donations of money used to shop.
During the week of December 11 early 5,000 bags of gifts arrived at the Elks Lodge on Social Street in Woonsocket. Those bags, purchased specifically for their 'adoptees', were then picked up by their families. Those 5,000 bags that came into the Lodge then went out of the Lodge into the grateful hands of needy families in Woonsocket.
All was not as simple as it sounds, however. At the beginning of the week the Board knew that there were approximately 250 kids without donors. Two-hundred fifty kids who would receive nothing from the program and because of the financial situations of their parents, might have nothing at all for Christmas.
But by the end of the week, the volunteers had put together bags of gifts for each and every one of those children. When all was tallied, gifts for 399 kids were waiting for pick up through their efforts. All of this was done during one week by volunteers who worked 10-12 hours a day shopping, wrapping, tagging and bagging.
By 6 pm Friday night, all the gifts had been picked up by the families, and a very tired but satisfied group of volunteers packed up and went home. Home to prepare for their own families holiday.
