For the past 3 years, we've been assigned the same family: a mother with twin girls. It's not a coincidence, I once applied for a job at Simpson Housing and the woman who assigns families remembered that I also had twins. This family used to be homeless -- a young mother with two then-toddlers -- but thanks to Simpson Housing is now living in an apartment. This single mom can barely make rent, let alone shower her kids with Christmas gifts.
We started participating in the Adopt-a-Family Program back when I was working full-time and it felt like we had some money to spare. This year, it doesn't feel like we have much to spare and yet I wouldn't think of not doing the program.
You should see the wish lists we get from this family each year. Whereas my kids are asking for a Nintendo DS (which they are not getting) and an assortment of toys, this family's list is all essentials: winter coats and boots, hats and mitten, jeans and sweaters...the past two years, I've gone back to our liaison at Simpson to ask if there was any way to find out what kinds of toys the girls liked. Because of course we always provide the essentials (the idea of waiting until the end of December in Minnesota for a winter coat and boots is heart-breaking) but we also want the kids to have something extra Christmas morning.
This year we might actually have spent more on our adopt-a-family than we'll spend on our own family for Christmas - and that's okay. Our kids won't be left wanting for anything. They already have more than enough.
There are similar programs everywhere. If you're wondering how you can help a family this Christmas, simply Google "adopt-a-family" and your city, or contact your local homeless shelter. No child should go without this Christmas - we all have enough to help someone else.
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