Staff
With Christmas just around the corner, it appears the spirit of giving is alive and well as the “Adopt-an-Angel” program wraps up for another year on Monday (Dec. 14).
“We’ve had a really good response. It’s been really overwhelming,” said Debra Bruyere of Family & Children Services, who organized this season’s campaign.
Now in it’s seventh year, the program asks the community to help make the holidays a little brighter for foster children, and kids in need who are being served by FACS across the district, by ensuring they all will receive gifts on Christmas morning.
This year, roughly 155 “angels” were looking to be adopted, Bruyere noted.
She added people across the district have been supportive, and that the gifts have been “very generous” so far despite the tough economic times.
“[But] we still have a number of ‘angels’ to adopt and we’re hoping they will all be adopted by next week,” Bruyere stressed.
Those wishing to give a helping hand can do so by dropping by either Wal-Mart in Fort Frances or Tompkins Hardware in Emo, where Christmas trees have been decorated with angels that anonymously represent each child.
Each of these angels contains the child’s age and gender, as well as gift suggestions that can be purchased at the store.
After the gifts are bought, they are held at the store until picked up by a worker or volunteer from FACS.
The gifts then will be distributed to the families for the children before Christmas Day.
A number of businesses and citizens also have dropped off donations of gifts and money at the FACS office, Bruyere noted.
“It’s been wonderful,” she enthused. “I’d like to thank the community, [and] Tompkins and Wal-Mart especially for their support of this worthwhile project.”
For more information about the “Adopt-an-Angel” program, contact FACS at 274-7787.
