Posted on by wncteam@waunakeenc.com

Adopt-A-Family

As we approach winter and the holidays, it can be especially difficult for families financially – heating bills are starting to kick in, kids have extra projects at school, an unexpected medical need arises, or the general cost of living rises. Your generosity will be a huge blessing to a family, relieving much of the burden by providing gifts they would not otherwise be able to afford. It will make a tremendous difference in the life of a grateful family right here in our community!

We invite individuals, families, organizations, and businesses to adopt a family this holiday season.

Here’s how the program works:

  1. Complete the online registration by Friday, Nov. 8th with your contact information and preferred family size. We recommend that you choose a family size (1,2,3, 4, 5+) based upon your desired financial commitment (the guideline* is to spend up to $100 per family member).
  2. Once we receive your confirmed family size, we will match you with a family and send their wish list to you. This will be completed by November 22nd so that you can take advantage of Thanksgiving week and Black Friday sales. Wishes generally include items such as the following: Coats, winter apparel, clothing, pajamas, undergarments, pillows, bedding, towels, boots, kitchen items, personal toiletries, DVDs, books, movie rentals, video game, gift card, toy, and 1-2 wishes for the family as a whole: board games, gas card, laundry soap, toiletries, cleaning supplies, kitchen item NOTE: We ask families to provide specific sizes, gender, and color to help you in selecting items 
  3. Purchase your gifts for the individual/family.
  4. Wrap all packages, labeling each package per the family list you received (i.e., 12-year old girl, mom, 4-year old boy, etc.).
  5. NEW this year – Deliver your gifts to the Adopt-a-Family distribution at the Waunakee Village Center, 333 S Madison Street, on Saturday, December 14th, between 9:00 am and noon at the Village Center. If you are not able to deliver the gifts during this time, please contact our office at (608)849-5740.

* We have the guideline to spend up to $100 per family member to keep the program as equitable among families as possible. Many of the children go to school together and adults know each other through work, church, and as neighbors,  so when one individual or family gets more than another, it can cause hurt feelings. If you, or your family/group, are wanting to be more generous, we recommend purchasing and donating gift cards to Waunakee Neighborhood Connection that can be given to families throughout the year as needs arise. Gift cards of $25 for stores such as Piggly Wiggly, Target, Wal-Mart, Fleet Farm, and gas stations are especially helpful. The cards can be dropped off along with your gifts on December 14th.