ADOPT-A-FAMILY

Christmas Season Made Brighter for Families in Need! Christmas 2009 was another record-breaking year for our Adopt-a-Family program, with over 900 families served and 500 participating donor groups like you. Over 2,600 children saw their wishes come true, with a similar number of donors, who supported the program either individually, or with their families and friends or through their employee groups, schools, parishes and day cares. THANK YOU! Read profiles of families you helped Read donor stories Read thank you notes from our families

You Can Make Cash Donations Now! Not enough time for shopping? You can make cash donations to the Foundation. With your donation we will ensure that our families can receive support when they need it. Donating online is quick, secure and easy, and you will be provided with a tax receipt instantly.

Adopt-a-Family 2010 Online Application Form will be available in October. With your support at Christmas, we help over 900 families receive gifts that provide relief from everyday challenges. Ask your family, friends, and co-workers to join you.  We will provide you with a profile of a family and a special wish list to help you personalize the experience.  It’s a fun and rewarding way to share the spirit of giving. It’s up to you to decide how much you would like to contribute, or how many items on a wish list you would like to purchase.  Your gifts will be delivered to the family by a child welfare worker prior to the holidays. For more information and for promotional purposes, click here to download a copy of the Adopt-a-Family Program Flyer. Frequently Asked Questions How do I sign up? On-line registration is now open. Click here to sign up today! How do I pick a family? After completing your registration, a Supervisor of Volunteer Services or a staff person will contact you with information on the family you have been matched with. Families chosen for this program are usually clients with the greatest need on a social worker’s caseload. A volunteer or staff person will contact you with more information. How will I know what kinds of gifts will be suitable for the family? To help you pick gifts for your adopted family, we will provide you with non-identifying details, including the age, gender and clothing size and preferences of the children and their parent(s)/ guardian(s). In most cases, families are able to provide “wish lists” for donor consideration. We do encourage including grocery store gift certificates as most families cannot afford a festive meal at Christmas. As well, gift certificates to discount stores such as Walmart and Zellers, etc., are always welcome. What you ultimately end up providing is really up to you. Where will I deliver my gifts? You may drop off the gifts to the branch which is in contact with you on or before December 7th, or set up an appointment with the Supervisor of Volunteer Services working with you. Volunteers can also handle a modest number of pick-ups. Do I wrap the gifts? It's best if your gifts come unwrapped. If you would like to provide the wrapping paper, we can pass this on to the family.  This is a wonderful way to involve the parent/guardian in the joy of gift giving/wrapping for their children.  If you would like to wrap the parent’s items, a gift bag would be a great idea. Can I meet the family? Many donors ask to meet the family, however, due to confidentiality and privacy laws, this is not possible. We make every effort possible to obtain family feedback to pass on to the donor, though it is always not feasible. Are my gifts eligible for tax receipts? All financial donations are eligible for an official tax receipt.  For contributions of gift certificates and gifts, please complete the Gift-in-Kind Donor Submission Form and submit the original store receipts at the time you drop off your gifts.  Charitable gift receipts will be issued for the value of the goods contributed, less PST and GST as Revenue Canada does not allow for the receipting of taxes paid.