The holiday season is supposed to be a special time for all, and it is our mission this winter to ensure that cheeks are rosy, spirits are merry, and that each child in Callaway County has a full Christmas meal and gifts to open on Christmas morning!
We know that Christmastime can be hard for many families and members of our community. Financial struggles may make it difficult for parents to put gifts under the tree for their little ones. We know that families who have never had to ask for help before have found themselves struggling. This year is different for so many of our neighbors, our friends, and our community members.
We know that Christmastime can be hard for many families and members of our community. Financial struggles may make it difficult for parents to put gifts under the tree for their little ones. We know that families who have never had to ask for help before have found themselves struggling. This year is different for so many of our neighbors, our friends, and our community members.
This program provides:
- Children with four gifts to open on Christmas morning - something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.
- Food baskets full of groceries to prepare a plentiful holiday meal! It wouldn’t be Christmas without a ham or turkey and all the fixings, right? We provide all the groceries for each family to cook a full holiday meal including stuffing, potatoes, green bean casserole, and even fruits and desserts! One food basket per household will be provided.
- Food and a special Christmas gift bag for disabled adults (over the age of 18) and seniors. These are gift bags that include a variety of small stocking stuffers such as socks, gift cards, books, word search puzzles, hygiene products, candles, etc. These items vary year to year.
Gifts are provided by community members who "adopt" the children and shop for them from their wish list. The adopters will never receive identifying information about the child, only information from their wish list that will help them purchase gifts for the child. After the donor shops for the gifts, they'll bring those items to our volunteers on a scheduled day. The gifts will be checked in and then later distributed to the families to give their children for Christmas.
This year, we will have a drive through system for gift pick up and distribution.
This program is completely confidential!
This year, we will have a drive through system for gift pick up and distribution.
This program is completely confidential!
How To Apply
Parents or legal guardians of dependent children under the age of 18, may fill out an online application to receive Christmas assistance.
The application process runs from September 15th – October 31st.
After the application is received, our staff will review each application, verify all documentation, and then will match each eligible child with an “adopter”.
All applications must be submitted electronically.
The application process runs from September 15th – October 31st.
After the application is received, our staff will review each application, verify all documentation, and then will match each eligible child with an “adopter”.
All applications must be submitted electronically.
APPLY FOR ADOPT-A-FAMILY HERE
September 15 - October 31
How To Adopt
Our adopters make this program possible!
Adopters complete the online request form below to “adopt” a child, and then our team will match each adopter with a child/children (you can adopt as many children as you'd like! We send each adopter the child’s wish list, which includes a list of their favorite colors and things, sizes, age, grade, and hobbies, and our adopters then buy Christmas gifts for that child.
This process is 100% completely confidential! Our adopters will not know the parent or child’s name (or any identifying information) and the families who receive the gifts will not know the names of our adopters.
Adopters can begin adopting as early as November 1st and we hope to have all children adopted by December 1st. Between December 7th and 8th, all gifts will be dropped off to our SERVE volunteers by the adopters.
Details about the specific dates, times and locations for gift drop off announced at a later date.
Adopters complete the online request form below to “adopt” a child, and then our team will match each adopter with a child/children (you can adopt as many children as you'd like! We send each adopter the child’s wish list, which includes a list of their favorite colors and things, sizes, age, grade, and hobbies, and our adopters then buy Christmas gifts for that child.
This process is 100% completely confidential! Our adopters will not know the parent or child’s name (or any identifying information) and the families who receive the gifts will not know the names of our adopters.
Adopters can begin adopting as early as November 1st and we hope to have all children adopted by December 1st. Between December 7th and 8th, all gifts will be dropped off to our SERVE volunteers by the adopters.
Details about the specific dates, times and locations for gift drop off announced at a later date.