Adopting a Needy Family for Christmas

Whether or not you are religious, I think most Americans can agree that Christmas is a time when people are more generous and caring than normal. Gift-giving is a great way to show people how much you appreciate them, and getting presents can also be pretty exciting! One thing I love about Christmas is that people just get nicer this time of year. It seems like wherever you go, strangers are more willing to smile, open a door for you, or give you a hand.

That's why I decided that I wanted to do something nice for someone outside of my own family this Christmas. My extended family usually does a $100 gift exchange. It's always a lot of fun, but it seems like a lot of money going towards things we don't really need. This year, I suggested taking that money we would have spent and adopting a local family for Christmas. Here is a guide for someone who wants to make adopting a needy family a new tradition in your family:

1) The Art of Suggestion: Make sure when suggesting this idea that you run it by your family before you go out and make a commitment to buy gifts. Send out a letter to the family email list or bring it up at Thanksgiving so people have plenty of time to get used to the idea. You also want to make sure and bring it up before they have already started shopping! Don't make people feel obligated or criticize past exchanges. Just say you had an idea you'd like to run by them. Let people know that they have the option of contributing as much or as little as they want rather than making a set limit.

2)But I like Opening Presents! Suggest having a small gift exchange where people either draw names or take turns opening or stealing presents so that the people who enjoy opening gifts after Christmas dinner will still have something to open. An ornament exchange, favorite used book exchange, or something else under $10 would satisfy the family's urge to open presents without breaking the bank.

3) Finding a Family: There are many routes you can take when looking for a family. There are international programs, but I think that it feels a bit more rewarding when you adopt a family in your own home town. Some cities have programs for adopting families. Do an internet search! Many churches also have lists of families who could use some help. If you are not religious, or if your family wants to have more say on who they pick and how, local schools are a great resource. School counselors, principals, and classroom teachers would probably be able to help you come up with a family with children who needs some assistance. Just make sure you give them plenty of time to get the info together for you. Email is great for many things, but coming by in person or making a phone call would probably be the most appropriate way to instigate a request like this.

4) Keeping it Confidential: If have the names of the family you will be helping, it would be best to not share the family name or other identifying details with your own family or group who is adopting them. Though knowing people's names does make it more personal, and sharing the information may be tempting, you would not want to hurt the needy family's pride by accidentally sharing their financial troubles with someone they know. Even in the biggest cities, it can still be a very small world, so keep that in mind! Make sure to respect the family's wishes by keeping their information and address private. If you are delivering presents yourself, pick one family member to go with you who is not into gossiping so everyone doesn't know where they live. You may want to give anonymously and have someone else drop the gifts off (like whoever coordinated the exchange). Speak with your family about whether or not they want to give anonymously.

5) What to buy? So your family is on board, and you have found a family to adopt. Now what? If you are organizing this on your own, a brief survey of kids' ages, sizes, color preferences, and a short wish list will be very helpful. I would strongly advise giving actual gifts instead of department store gift cards. Though it may be your natural tendency to want to trust that the gift cards would be used appropriately, the only way to guarantee that the money isn't being used for something else is to buy the presents yourself. This may sound harsh, but it would be unfortunate if your family's contribution was used for something that did not benefit the children in the family. Why take a chance? If you need gift ideas, try browsing Associated Content articles of gift ideas for different age groups!

Happy giving!