For another consecutive year, Oakland Family Services’ Adopt A Family program brightened the holidays for hundreds of people in Southeast Michigan. Donors, volunteers, company sponsors, and agency staff came together to ensure families and children facing challenges of all shapes and sizes would have special gifts, winter clothing, and other household necessities this winter. We are pleased to report that all families who entered the 2023 program were matched with donors.

THIS YEAR’S IMPACT

• 330 families, including nearly 1,000 children, received gifts through Adopt A Family. Without the program’s assistance, these families may not have been able to provide gifts for their children this holiday season.

• The generosity of more than 180 donors contributed to the success of the program.

• Over 100 volunteers graciously spent time and energy carrying piles of presents and helping with logistics behind the scenes.

• Thousands of wrapped gifts were dropped off and organized into 903 bags and 413 boxes. Donations also included two beds and 20 bicycles.

• Recipients seamlessly collected their gifts with the help of our volunteers, who quickly located the correct items and loaded them into families’ vehicles. The entire gift drop-off and pick-up process took place over just five days (December 11-15).

• Two sponsors, AT&T and McLaren Oakland , provided crucial funding to support the program. In addition, their employees participated by volunteering and donating gifts.

It takes a community effort to successfully pull off this impactful project. We are incredibly grateful for the donors, volunteers, and sponsors who made Adopt A Family possible this year. Thank you to each and every person who played a role in providing a special holiday for so many OFS families and children.

HOW ADOPT A FAMILY WORKS

All Adopt A Family recipients are clients of Oakland Family Services, including preschoolers and toddlers who attend our Children’s Learning Centers, children and teens in foster care, families receiving behavioral health treatment or parenting support, and other clients who have been identified as needing assistance.

In November, recipient clients submit their family’s holiday wishlist and become matched with a participating donor. Donors who sign up for Adopt A Family may specify the family size and ages of children they wish to shop for.

Gifts are thoughtfully purchased, wrapped, and labeled by donors. In December, donors transport these gifts to Oakland Family Services’ Pontiac office, where volunteers unload them from vehicles, pack them into large bags and boxes, code them, and carefully place them in storage.

This year’s gift storage was sponsored by McLaren Oakland and included five outdoor PODS. Numerous OFS conference rooms, offices, and hallways also housed donated gifts.

All gifts are dropped off in a two-day window. Then, one day is spent tallying items and preparing for pick-up.

The next two days are when the magic happens! Adopt A Family recipients arrive; volunteers locate their gifts, retrieve them from storage, and load them into their vehicles.

Families are often shocked by the volume of items they receive (sometimes they need to make multiple trips!). Witnessing their gratitude and joy is a heartwarming experience for our volunteers and staff members.

Adopt A Family is led by Katie Henwood, Engagement and Special Events Coordinator at Oakland Family Services. With the help of our Development Team, Katie’s efforts in matching families with donors, recruiting volunteers, managing gift storage, and coordinating the overall process have allowed the program to thrive.