For many, the holidays are about making wish-lists and buying gifts for family and friends. For some, it’s about the necessities: toothpaste, shampoo, and underwear.
Children’s Home and Aid has pooled donations and recruited adopters to benefit needy Bloomington-Normal families for 30 years through its Adopt-A-Family holiday program.
“A lot of our families do not have the resources or the income to buy a lot of new things for their kids or for themselves,” development associate Laura Cordero said.
The program started small, she explained. One woman had a family in her neighborhood that needed a little extra help over the holidays, so she got together with some neighbors to put together some packs. Year after year, Cordero said the number of needy families continued to grow until it became part of the Children’s Foundation — now Children’s Home and Aid.
“We have parents that are asking for things as basic as shampoo and laundry detergent, things that most regular people that have expendable income take for granted,” Cordero said.
This year the organization is helping 160 local families — or 600 children and adults. These are all families that already receive services through Children’s Home and Aid.
Cordero said the number of families is down from last year but the number of children and adults has grown, meaning the agency is helping larger families.
One week into the registration period, she said there are still 75 to 80 families in need of being adopted.
Cordero said anyone interested in adopting a family should expect to spend “at least $200 to $250 per person in the family,” with some families being only two members.
Those who cannot afford to adopt a family can still help, she explained. Children’s Home and Aid accepts single donations as well as cash and gift card donations. Find more information on the organization’s website.
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