Adopt A Family program serves a record high number of children this holiday season
Kim Keller reached inside a semi truck and grabbed a heavy cardboard box, carefully bracing it against her shoulder as she searched for a spot to place it among other stacked boxes filled with gifts that stretched from one end of Oakland Family Services’ Pontiac building to the other.
Keller, a first-time volunteer for the agency’s Adopt A Family program, was amazed at the number of boxes that filled Beaumont Hospital’s semi truck.
“It’s fabulous how generous people are,” said Keller, who has three children and three grandchildren of her own. “This is so much fun. I love to see all the stuff these families will be getting. It makes me teary.”
Keller was among the volunteers who braved freezing temperatures, rain and snow to make sure more than 900 children will receive gifts for the holidays – a record high for the Adopt A Family program! Last year, more than 650 children benefited from Adopt A Family.
“There’s definitely a need in the community,” said Nancy Henaha, who has participated in the agency’s Adopt A Family for the past 8 years through the Fox Run Senior Living Community. “It’s nice to see what your volunteer services are going toward.”
Throughout the week of Dec. 9, volunteers from Flagstar Bank, Wells Fargo, StayWell, Fox Run Senior Living Community, and other individuals were busy unloading boxes filled with gifts, placing them in large garbage bags, tagging the bags, and loading them up for families to open during the holidays.
Mike Zoller, a commercial banker with Wells Fargo, said Wells Fargo has supported Oakland Family Services’ Adopt A Family since he joined the company in 2013.
“We are helping families in need and supporting families in the communities we do business with,” he said. “That is important to us.”
This year, Adopt A Family will help more than 350 families who otherwise would not have gifts to give for the holidays.
“I hope this is something that fulfills some of the dreams for their kids and makes their holiday more pleasant,” volunteer George Harabedian said.
This is the fourth year John Bueno of Pontiac has volunteered for Adopt A Family. He said he appreciates the agency’s services, particularly the Children’s Learning Center in Pontiac.
“It’s a very well run organization,” he said. “We donate money here. It’s going toward programs, not administrative costs. In the community, there’s a big void for pre-K. It’s expensive, and this is a place that helps fill some of that gap. It’s the perfect non-profit to help.”
Oakland Family Services appreciates all of the individual donors as well as the 86 corporate donors that participated in Adopt A Family. The agency would also like to thank Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, St. Patrick's Parish, Flagstar, and Penske for adopting at least 10 families.
Volunteer and Engagement Coordinator Nikki Serra said the Adopt A Family program is a community effort.
“The success of Adopt A Family is reliant on both our generous donors and our dedicated volunteers,” she said. “We've had so many donors adopt families this year, and we are so grateful to every person who contributed gifts to families in need of assistance. Without the support and effort of our volunteers, we physically wouldn't be able to unload and organize the number of gifts our families receive. We are so thankful for our volunteers and the passion they have for this program!”