ADOPT A FAMILY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

by Hillsides

The holidays can be a depressing time for families in need who can't afford presents or a meal. We work with the community to adopt families and provide a brighter holiday and bring cheer during the season. Here's one of our families who was adopted.

A few months before the holidays, Miguel* lost his mother and sister in a car accident.  He and his wife  Maria* took in his sister’s two boys to raise.  Around the same time, Maria learned she was pregnant with her fourth child.

Miguel and Maria felt overwhelmed. Hillsides staff emphasized the need for self-care, and gave the family tools to reduce stress and to handle daily struggles. Hillsides therapists were also able to help Miguel work through his grief. Slowly but surely, the family began to heal.

When the couple was told that their family had been selected to be part of Hillsides holiday Adopt-a-Family Program, they worried it was too good to be true.  They wrote down a list of needed items – pajamas, underwear, sweaters, shoes, blankets, baby items, and a few toys for the children – not really believing their wishes would be answered.   On Christmas morning, when the family opened up their gifts, the veil of sadness and desperation that had descended on them lifted.  For the first time since the death Miguel’s mother and sister, the family felt safe, secure, and full of hope knowing that someone cared enough about them to give them a merry Christmas.

With support from individuals, families, and companies, we hope to give 90  families gifts for each member of the family and groceries to help feed the children. The cost to provide for one member of the family is $100. The cost for a family of four is $400.

Please consider sharing the gift of the holiday spirit to families in need. We thank you for thinking of the families in crisis who we serve.

*Names changed for privacy reasons.