Adopt-a-Family Brings Holiday Cheer to 175 Local Families
A thank-you note from the family Heart of West Michigan United Way staff adopted this year.
For many of the ALICE families in Kent County – the thousands of households working but struggling to make ends meet – the holidays can be a stressful time. If food and rent are a stretch, there’s probably not much left in the budget for presents. That’s where Adopt-a-Family comes in.
Gifts purchased and wrapped by EHTC employees, ready to be delivered.
This year, Heart of West Michigan United Way’s 2-1-1 team matched 175 local families to sponsors who helped them fill their holiday wish lists. Families ranged in size from two members to 12.
Thanks to widespread interest from individuals, families, and workplaces looking to support the program, we were once again able to place a sponsor with every one of the families who signed up to receive gifts.
This year’s sponsors included churches, neighborhood groups, scouting troops, a youth hockey team, salons, and restaurants, as well as teams from Steelcase, Spectrum Health, BISSELL, Gordon Food Service, Wolverine Worldwide, EHTC, and the West Michigan Whitecaps.
Grand River Bank took to Facebook to talk about what the program meant, both to their own employees and to the family they sponsored: “We absolutely fell in love. They were so appreciative and thankful because our team members went above and beyond.”
While most families in the program receive toys, clothes, and other typical holiday gifts, others have greater needs. We try to pair these families with workplaces, like Grand River Bank, who are able to meet them. In this case, Grand River employees provided a couch, love seat, twin beds (frames, mattress, and linens), a car seat, dinette set, toiletries, clothing, as well as Christmas dinner, for all members of the family, from mom to a six-month-old.
Once our program filled up, 2-1-1 was able to refer prospective sponsors to other holiday gift programs at Arbor Circle, Catholic Charities West Michigan, Bethany Christian Services, D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Heartside Community Christmas Store, and Hope Network.
For more opportunities to make a difference here in West Michigan, visit the Volunteer Center’s webpage.
2019 Adopt a Family Sponsors
In addition to the companies below, dozens of individuals and families took on Adopt-a-Family sponsorships this year. For some larger organizations, sponsorship was at the local or department level.
84th St Pub and Grille
A. G. Business Solutions
Altec Repair Central
Amway
Animal Emergency Hospital
AppleTree & Gilden Woods
BISSELL
C&I Building Maintenance
Chandler Woods Charter Academy
Consumers Energy
Continental Dairy
Copper Corner Neighborhood
Custer Office Environment Inc.
D Saint International
Davenport
dig
Drake's Consulting
EHTC
Encompass
Experience Grand Rapids
Farmers Insurance
Forrest Hills Public Schools
Fox Motors
G.T. Industries
Gabridge & Co.
GE Aviation
Gillis Family Chiropractic
Gordon Food Service
Grand Rapids Label Co.
Grand Rapids Public Museum
Grand River Bank
Greenridge Reality
GVSU Recreational Therapy Student Assoc.
Herman Miller
INFOR
Kellogg Company
Kentwood Community Church
Lake Michigan Credit Union
Legal Copy Service
Logic Data
Macatawa Bank
Northwestern Mutual
Old Navy/Tanger Outlet
Pridgeon & Clay
Rapid-Line Inc
Schupan Recycling
Siren & Proper
Spectrum Health
Statistical Survey
Steelcase
Studio Barre Grand Rapids
Tech Defenders
The J Salon
Total Package Hockey/Southside Ice Arena
Transcor Logistic
UPS
Van Eerden Trucking
West Michigan White Caps
West Side Beer Distributing
Wolverine Worldwide