By Sheldon Spackman

Adopt-A-Family program in need of more sponsors

Dec 13, 2018 | 10:28 AM

More sponsors are desperatley needed for the Adopt-A-Family program in Red Deer.

That according to Barb Barber, executive director for Women’s Outreach that runs the program each year.

Barber says they are currently 20 sponsors short of being able to support all the families they have in need right now.

“For Adopt-A-Family this year, we’re on the final push,” she exclaims. “The families that we do have are single parent families with two kids. So if anybody is in a position where they’re able to help us out, whether they want to do the shopping themselves or whether they’re in a position where they can just help financially and we can have our volunteers shop, the help would be greatly appreciated.”

Barber says even if you’re able to help just one child, they can piece everything else together to ensure local children and families in need have a Merry Christmas.

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“We really appreciate the support of the community on this program,” says Barber. “It’s because of the community that it’s as successful as it is.”

BIG 105.5 FM and the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group in Red Deer joined with community partners to help out those in need this holiday season.

It was revealed on Thursday the local radio station along with its partners raised $1,800 for the Women’s Outreach Adopt-A-Family program.

Brent Young, Sales Manager for BIG 105 and The Drive radio stations in Red Deer, says following years of doing Christmas greetings on behalf of local businesses, the team at the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group opted to do something different this year.

“So we devised an idea to incorporate a local charity,” explains Young. “We did a little bit of research and discovered the Adopt-A-Family program with Women’s Outreach and thought that might be a great beneficiary of an initiative on behalf of our sales team. They liked the idea and so we went ahead and approached local businesses and put together a small, little idea that would recognize them for their participation in the initiative and all the while, turning over a portion of the proceeds to the Adopt-A-Family program.”

Young says anything you can do to help those who need it this time of year and create a better Christmas, always feels great.

“For our first year, we’re thrilled with it,” exclaims Young. “We were completely sold-out of the Adopt-A-Family sponsorship positions available on BIG 105, so we have 106.7 The Drive just chomping at the bit next year and we hope to incorporate that radio station, so really thrilled with our first year.”   

Barber says Adopt-A-Family is a year-round program they often highlight at Christmas time.

“Because there’s all those extra stresses that come around this time of year,” she explains. “Really, for those families who have to leave their home and need to start over, we can give them some help and help them get resettled and even just get the kids some toys and that kind of stuff because generally they have to leave that behind, so this is what this cheque is all about, so it’s very, very helpful and very much appreciated.”

She says the Adopt-A-Family program generally focuses on single-parent families but they work in partnership with other local programs to ensure everyone is supported at Christmas time.

“Come in, fill out an application and then we have sponsors who are anonymous and they come to us and say ‘We’re able to support a family of a single mom or a single dad with this many kids’ states Barber. “We kind of go on $75 for spending on presents per child and then part of the Christmas experience is also that big Christmas dinner and knowing that things are expensive, we also ask that $50 goes towards their groceries for Christmas dinner.”

Barber estimates 172 local families have already been helped this season so far.

“I’m sure we’re going to be around the 200 mark,” says Barber. “We’re a little bit higher than previous years but we’re also seeing some families that were able to make it last year and just aren’t able to do it this year. This is a community-driven program, so we can only help as many people as the program is supported within the community.”

She says any help given is always appreciated.

“We get to see on our side the families and the appreciation that they show and how humbling it is to come and sign up for a program just because they need the help,” explains Barber. “To be able to provide Christmas for kids, it’s really sad to think that somebody wouldn’t have anything, you know a child wouldn’t have anything to open at Christmas. Just knowing that somebody cares enough to do that for them really makes a difference for them.”

Applications for the Adopt-A-Family program run from Nov. 1 – Dec. 14.

To sponsor a local family in need this Christmas, click here or call Women’s Outreach at 403-347-2480.