Families still waiting for adoption as Christmas Eve nears
By Kyle Schmidt
The goal of delivering Christmas presents to 893 families including 2,935 individuals will come down to the wire with a week until Christmas.
AFL-CIO Community Services Executive Director Nichi Seckinger said 527 families have been adopted.
Others still waiting for assistance through the Adopt-A-Family program, which provides Christmas gifts to those in need, will be able to get items from the agency’s gift room, she said.
“I really think we’re going to get 250 through the gift room or my hope is 250 through the gift room,” Seckinger said. “It’ll be that last 125 families that are going to swing.”
Families going into the gift room will be able to select three or four items per person. Some unadopted families are being selected to take a look at the gift room.
The remaining families tend to be bigger, which can be harder to provide for, she said.
“It always feels like it’s a race right down to the end,” Seckinger said. “It’s always a nail-biter.”
There is still time to donate gifts or apply to adopt a family. This can be done in person at the AFL-CIO office at 1203 N. Sixth St., or by visiting the agency’s website at helpmenow.org. Those visiting in person can select someone to help from a book with each family’s story.
“Reading those stories are usually a pretty interesting process and it really lets them understand why these folks need the help they need,” Seckinger said. “A lot of people this year are … health-wise in a bad position.”
Seckinger hopes to get those taken care of as soon as possible.
“Just to relieve and alleviate some of that worry,” she said. “The sooner we can let them know what’s going on, the easier it makes Christmas on them.”
Volunteer positions are always available and those interested can apply at the center.
“We’re really hoping that we’ll have a couple of volunteers fill in spaces for us and it’s mostly in our gift room,” Seckinger said. “Which is a really fun way to help. You really get to interact with families and see how they react to the items that they’re getting.”
