Adopt-A-Family looks for more adopters as applications come in
By Kyle Schmidt
A local agency is seeking some community Santas to help provide a merry Christmas for those in need.
The annual AFL-CIO Adopt-A-Family program is in its final days for people to sign up for holiday assistance. Executive Director Nichi Seckinger said the agency sees a big push of applicants at this time of year and those willing to help them are needed.
“Luckily we have seen a lot of adopters come through,” Seckinger said. “We have a lot of adopters that have registered online and are stepping up for the program, people from outside of St. Joe even this year.”
She expects 800 to 900 families and individuals to apply for help this year. Friday, Dec. 6, is the final day for those seeking assistance to pick up applications.
Seckinger said the cost of adopting a family varies.
“We average out at 50 bucks for a child under the age of 5, from 5 to 12 about $75,” she said. “Then teenagers, we say about $100. If they want to make a donation, just to help take care of one teenage kid, they can do that.”
Even those who can’t fully adopt an entire family can help in some way, Seckinger said. AFL-CIO accepts individual donations of items for the gift room, purchases gift cards for food baskets and monetary donations.
Donation boxes are around the St. Joseph area as well for toy drop-offs, including at Club Geek, Rally House, Visions II and Rogers Pharmacy. Items can be brought to AFL-CIO Community Services at 1203 N. Sixth St. as well.
Another groups seeking to help fill the need is Shopping 4 a Cause. It will host a vendor shopping event from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, at InterServ, 5400 King Hill Ave.
Organizer Nichole Faucett said there will be about 30 local vendors.
“Because it is a toy drive as well as shopping, people always feel good about trying to help someone else out,” Faucett said. “But it’s always so neat to see the handcrafted items that people have made.”
A donation box will be set up at the event in support of the AFL-CIO Adopt-A-Family program.
Seckinger said her organization’s goal is to take care of everyone in need of help by Christmas Eve.
“It causes a lot of anxiety for our families to not know if they’re taken care of and not know if they’re going to get there to make sure their families are taken care of for the holidays,” she said. “It also causes a lot of anxiety for our staff to worry about those families.”
