ADOPT–A–FAMILY
Christmas 2012
GUIDELINES FOR SPONSORS
Dear Adopt-A-Family Sponsor:
First, thank you for accepting the responsibility and challenge of adopting a family in St. Vincent de Paul’s program. This is a significant commitment on your part and we believe you will find it a very rewarding one.
This letter explains the program in detail. Please read it over carefully, even if you are a past sponsor, since a few things have changed.
HOW FAMILIES ARE CHOSEN. Families are chosen and carefully matched with a sponsor by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. All are families in need already receiving assistance from SVdP. All are checked to ensure they have not applied for help from another agency. Families are chosen regardless of race, religion, or national origin. Each sponsor will be assigned a SVdP Liaison to answer questions that may come up.
YOUR COMMITMENT. Christmas is a special time for young children, so we are focusing on them. The sponsor buys and wraps presents for the household family members:
· 2 new presents (one toy, the other clothes) for each child between 2 and 14 years
· 1 present for children 15 and older
· 1 present for each parent and grandparent in the household
· A full Christmas dinner for the family (uncooked)
The sponsor also buys all of the uncooked food items required for a complete Christmas dinner, either traditional or Hispanic. See last page for food suggestions.
COSTS. The cost to adopt a family will of course depend on the size of the family you adopt. General guidelines are:
Cost of Christmas Meal Items: $8 to $10 a person
Christmas Presents: $35 to $45 a person (average)
We have included a Christmas Dinner Suggestions page only as a guideline. The list includes ingredients for a traditional American dinner and a traditional Hispanic dinner. The grocery stores in the area stock all the items listed.
We suggest a $35-$45 per person guideline for presents. You are not obligated to spend that amount. Some sponsors will spend more than the guidelines, while others who are creative or shop the pre-Christmas sales, spend less.
WHAT INFORMATION IS PROVIDED. The enclosed form provides you with the sex, age, and clothing size for each member of the family, as well as their preference for presents (clothes and/or toys). You are not bound by any stated preference. The sizes on the form were collected during home visits as early as October. Visiting the family will give you a chance to check sizes more precisely.
WHAT DO I DO NOW THAT I HAVE MY FAMILY? First, review the enclosed form. If you decide NOT to “adopt” the family, please call us immediately. We will try to assign the family to another sponsor. Sometimes two sponsors are asked to jointly adopt a family, usually because the family is very large and beyond the resources of one sponsor. If this applies to your family, please contact the other sponsor and coordinate your plans.
CONTACT THE FAMILY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. This will relieve their anxiety about being adopted for Christmas and give you a chance to meet them in their own home. Don’t wait until a few days before Christmas. Some parents start to panic as Christmas is near. If they haven’t heard from a sponsor, they may go out and spend the rent money on presents.
When you reach out to the family, you can see for yourself what is (and may not be) appropriate to their circumstances. Most families are dealing with problems of unemployment, illness, or some other luckless condition. Some may not appear poor but may be burdened with the costs of devastating health problems. Many are single parents. Regardless of the reasons for the family’s need, we know you will extend respect, kindness, and the love of Christ just as you would want others to treat your own family.
If you do not want your adopted family to have your home phone number, dial *67 before you call the family. If you get a message such as “this phone does not accept blocked calls,” then you can sometimes dial 1-480 before the family’s number to get through. We have required all families to disable their call block by dialing #87 so their sponsors and SVdP can contact them.
TOY RECOMMENDATIONS. Please try to avoid expensive (new bicycles, computers, Wii, Xbox 360’s and faddish items such as $150 athletic shoes. Even if you have the means to give expensive presents, remember that these often create a problem between children, their neighbors and relatives after you leave. If you are determined to spend significantly more than $35-$45, we suggest you consider one $35 toy and then several practical items (books, puzzles, games, etc.). Many children request a bicycle – something that far exceeds the $35-$45 guideline – unless you have access to good, safe, used bikes. If you choose to buy a bicycle for a child, please also provide a helmet.
OTHER GIFTS. “Family” gifts – crock pots, electric frying pans, towels or bed linens – may be appropriate for parents or grandparents. But keep in mind even an 80 year old grandmother would enjoy a personal gift.
INTERPRETERS. You may be assigned a family where the adult(s) speak little or no English. We ask that you seek out a friend or neighbor who speaks enough Spanish to help as a translator when you visit the family. If you use the children in the family to translate, you might spoil Christmas surprises! St. Vincent de Paul has members who may be able to help, but these people quickly get swamped with requests. We hope that you will make a real effort to find a translator before calling on us.
WHEN TO DELIVER. Presents should be wrapped and delivered on or before Thursday, December 20, 2012. It’s nice to have presents under the tree for a couple of days before Christmas! Food can be delivered at the same time, although you may want to talk with the family about available refrigerator space. Over the years, we have even had families without the ability to cook a large turkey, so a pre-cooked meal had to be purchased.
OTHER ITEMS. In the past, some sponsors have also provided a Christmas tree and decorations. This is up to your discretion. We always recommend artificial trees because of fire hazards and old electric wiring in some homes. If decorations are provided, we recommend ornaments, tinsel, garlands, and other non-electrical items. If you are willing to purchase a tree, check first how much room the family has in their living space. If the family has very little space, you might instead consider a small Nativity scene which can be placed on a table.
Finally. Lack of a “thank you” from the family does not necessarily signify lack of gratitude. It’s difficult to depend on others for your family’s needs. Sometimes it’s too embarrassing or awkward. In the eyes of God, no act of kindness requires a “thank you” from the recipients.
Your sacrifice has a tremendous psychological impact on your adopted family. Should your situation change at the last minute, please call us immediately so that we do not leave a family without a Christmas meal and presents.
On behalf of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, thank you for your kind and generous spirit. Through person-to-person contact, our hope is to bring love, peace, and joy to our brother or sister suffering.
As often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me. Matthew 25:40
CHRISTMAS DINNER SUGGESTIONS
Traditional
Item 2-3 People 4-6 People 7 or more
Turkey 12 lb. 15 lb. 18+ lbs.
Stuffing mix Sm. Box lg. box lg. box
Celery 1 2 3
Onion 1 2 3
Alum. Roast pan 1 1 1
Gravy 1 jar 2 jars 3 jars
Dinner Rolls 1bag 1 bag 2 bags
Marg./butter 1 lb. 1 lb. 1 lb.
Cranberry Sauce 1 can 1 can 2 cans
Peas 1 can 2 cans 3 cans
Potatoes or Yams 6 9 12
Milk ½ gal. 1 gal. 1 gal.
Seasonal pie 1 pie 1 pie 2 pies
Oranges 6 9 12
Mixed nuts 1 lb. 1 ½ lb. 2 lbs.
HISPANIC (Tamales)
Pork roast 5 lbs. 7 lbs. 10 lbs.
Corn husks ½ lb. 1 lb. 1 ½ lb.
Maseca 5 lbs. 7 lbs. 10 lbs.
Red Chili pods ½ lb. ½ lb. 1 lb.
Lard/Shortening 1 lb. 2 lbs. 2 lbs.
Corn or Flour tortillas 1 doz. 1 doz. 2 doz.
Refried beans/pinto beans 2 cans 3 cans 4 cans
Long grain rice 1lb. 2 lbs. 3 lbs.
Fresh green chiles 1 lb. 1 lb. 2 lb.
Kernel corn 1 can 2 cans 3 cans
Tomatoes 1 lb. 1 ½ lbs. 2 lbs.
Lettuce l head 1 head 2 heads
Fruit juice l lg. can 2 lg. cans 3 lg. cans
Cake mix l box 1 box 2 boxes
Sweetened Condensed milk 1 can 2 cans 3 cans
Oranges/Tangerines 6 9 12
For the traditional meals, the sponsor providers all of the ingredients. For tamales, ask the family if they want the ingredients or ready-made tamales. Making tamales is part of the fun of Christmas.
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