Adopt-A-Family Program nears goal as Christmas approaches, faces $65K shortfall in donations
TaMya Bracy
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — With Christmas just two days away, the Adopt-A-Family program is close to having all of its families adopted.
This year, the program reached 881 families and 2,850 people. Seven families still need to be adopted.
AFL-CIO Executive Director Nichi Seckinger said 15 adopters came in on Monday to adopt several families.
“Which is wonderful. We’re just waiting for them to get items back for us, so we can get them to the families or to get the items delivered to the household,” she said.
There are 28 families on the wait list for the agency’s Gift Room.
“The thing with our wait list families is because they didn’t get registered for the program, they can get items out of the Gift Room, but we don’t supplement their shopping,” she said. “If they can’t find things in the Gift Room, unfortunately, there is nothing else we can provide for them.”
Seckinger said the Gift Room is currently depleted, as all possible gifts are out, ready to be rehomed to families.
“As far as storage area and our supply room, there’s very little left. The only thing left are board games and Barbies, she said. “That’s only because we had so many to start with, and they just weren’t going as fast as some other things; everything else is pretty much cleared out back there.”
Seckinger said donors are continuing to drop items off at the Gift Room as Christmas inches closer.
“We do have stuff coming in, we’ve had donors walk in yesterday and today. I know we had a couple more people call and said that they are going bring some stuff by for the room, which is wonderful,” she said.
The program is $65,000 behind in monetary donations. Seckinger said the agency will finish out the year with all families adopted, but is worried about what will be left when Adopt-A-Family is done.
“The agency is going to have to cover that cost, and that’s where we’re nervous because we just don’t have a lot in reserve to cover Christmas. Christmas doesn’t pay for itself. The agency doesn’t really have the dollars to cover it,” she said.
Seckinger said there are costs associated with the program that are, unfortunately, unavoidable.
“That’s where it’s going to end up hurting the agency,” she said. “If we can’t get those things covered, it’ll put us in a bad position into next year, and can jeopardize some of the other programs as well.”
Seckinger expressed gratitude for the community, noting that any donation has been helpful.
“It’s such a stressful but fulfilling thing to run this program and to see what people are capable of doing for each other. To know that it has a profound effect on the adopters as much as it does the folks they helped,” Seckinger said. “We know that we’re doing the right thing with this program, and we know that it’s a good thing; we know it’s exactly what people need this time of year. Without the support from the community, we couldn’t do it.”
Monetary donations can be dropped off at AFL-CIO Community Services, located at 1203 N. Sith St., or by visiting its website.