Christmas for all should be a sign of hope, peace, joy and love, says Capt. Keisha McMullin of The Salvation Army of Greenwood.
“Sadly, for some it is the very opposite,” she said. “Christmas for some can seem like the darkest hours.”
Adopt-A-Family is a Christmas assistance program that aims to provide a light to area families in need during those darkest hours.
“The families that have registered for Christmas assistance will not have a Christmas without the Adopt-A-Family program,” said McMullin. “They are not financially able to provide for themselves for Christmas. Many are living on a fixed income, and some have come to The Salvation Army for Christmas assistance due to their lives being drastically altered by the effects of COVID-19.”
This year’s list features 225 families in need of Christmas assistance.
The Adopt-A-Family program began in 1980 and is sponsored annually through a partnership between The Salvation Army and The Greenwood Commonwealth. The program provides gifts, groceries and other items to families either in very low-income households or in emergency situations at Christmas through donations from the community.
“The Adopt-A-Family donations will go toward providing Christmas in the form of food, clothing, toys or gifts,” said McMullin.
Qualifying families will be listed anonymously in the Commonwealth twice a week, starting Wednesday, until all are adopted. Beginning next week, the list will be published every Tuesday and Friday.
Members of the community, businesses and organizations may adopt a family on the list for a fee of $75, which may be brought to The Salvation Army store at 214 Mississippi 7 S., between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
More than one family may be adopted, and families may be adopted in honor or memory of a loved one.
“The community’s contributions will provide food, clothing and toys this year for 265 children and 132 senior citizens,” said McMullin.
Those on the Adopt-A-Family list are from low-income families or families that have had a recent crisis that has affected them financially — whether it’s having to take care of a sick relative, experiencing a death in the family, a family member losing a job or any event that has put a family in a tight spot financially. Some of the families are in need as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Since the pandemic, we have seen a greater need for the services that we provide to our community,” she said.
The Adopt-A-Family program also allows The Salvation Army to help grandparents who are the primary caregivers of their grandchildren and may not have custody but are going through the process.
Adopt-A-Family assists with providing gifts not only for children but also for senior citizens and those who are disabled with fixed incomes and who would not have a Christmas gift or meal otherwise.
“The Salvation Army of Greenwood works faithfully to overcome poverty all year long,” said McMullin. “We feed the hungry, assist families, help the elderly and respond to disasters — all while sharing God’s love. Even during a global pandemic, we have remained steadfast in our mission.”
Members of the community have already began reaching out to The Salvation Army about adopting families, and five were recently adopted by Strangers Home Missionary Baptist Church and the church’s Missionary Society before the initial list was published.
The Salvation Army’s distribution day is set for Dec. 21. McMullin hopes all families will be adopted by Dec. 15 in order to purchase all that’s needed for the families before distribution day.
Those who want to mail in a donation to The Salvation Army rather than hand-delivering it may include a family number. Although by the time the mailed donation is received the specified family may already be adopted, The Salvation Army will try to match the donation with a similar family.
“Many are searching for a mere beacon of hope,” McMullin said of those in need this year. “The Adopt-A-Family program will afford hope, joy, peace and love to 225 families on Christmas morning.”
For more information about Adopt-A-Family, call The Salvation Army at 455-9679 or McMullin at 466-6434.
•Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7235 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
