Adopt a family in Windsor this holiday season

 

by Dawn Gray

Almost 900 Windsor families will be receiving some extra help this holiday season through a program at the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Society.

The Holiday Program allows individuals, organizations and businesses to adopt families during the season of giving. The families are provided clothing, food, gift cards, toys and personal items to help make these times a little easier.

Sarah Hill and her colleagues from Windsor Regional Hospital take part in the program every year. This year Hill wanted to do even more by including her own family in the effort.

“Every year we always adopt a family on our floor of the hospital,”said Hill. “Everyone takes part,”

“So this year I wanted to include my family. Since my son is four and a half, we wanted to teach him that there are less fortunate people in our city and he should feel fortunate for what he has,” she said.

The program works by providing the adopters a list that has been put together by a local family in need. The list includes the number of people in the family and also the ages and sizes of the children. Adopters then purchase items from that list and provide wrapping paper so parents can wrap the gifts for their children.

The exchange is done anonymously through the society and the adopters never meet the family they are helping. Hill says she would like to meet the people she is assisting, but she understands why it does not work that way.

“I wouldn’t want them to feel awkward or embarrassed,” said Hill.

Hill says she participates in the program to help remind her son and herself that Christmas is about more than giving gifts.

“I think the important part that society has forgotten about, is that Christmas is about family and caring about other people.”

According to the Children’s Aid Society website, without the generosity of the community many of these families would have little to celebrate over the holiday season.