In an effort to serve more families, the East Missouri Action Agency is making a few changes to its annual Adopt-A-Family program ahead of this year's holiday season.
“Last year we had a hard time getting families adopted, so this year we’ve changed things so that all the families will be able to receive something,” said Kathleen Capps, a community service representative for the agency. “We are comparing names with the "Shop with a Cop" event so that we aren’t double-dipping and serve more families and children.”
The program supplies families and the elderly who meet certain financial guidelines the chance to receive gifts during the holiday season.
Area residents, who wish to adopt a family, may visit the EMAA office — located at 25 S. Jackson St. in Perryville — to pick a stocking off the Christmas tree. Each stocking represents a qualifying family and gives basic anonymous information about each to make it easier to pick out gifts.
According to Capps, gifts should be less than $30, and once purchased, should be brought back to the agency in a box or bag to be picked up by the family.
When volunteers bring in their boxes and bags, they are asked to have the family number on the bag along with the UPC codes marked out. Each child can ask for two items, and a special need, such as clothing, may be added.
The elderly may ask for three items.
“We are trying to make this event for families who will not have much of a Christmas, not to make a Christmas bigger or better,” Capps said. “I think we lost the meaning of Christmas somewhere. So we are trying to stay away from the video games and things like that.”
The office is open two days a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Doors are closed from noon-1 p.m. for lunch.
Capps said applications for the program will be accepted beginning Oct. 29, and that she expects to see more people apply.
“More folks are getting less hours and COVID-19 has really affected them,” Capps said. “We are seeing more and more new people all the time that have never used our services before. We want to see all these families have a nice holiday season.”
Persons who enter the EMAA building — whether to turn their applications or adopt a family — are asked to wear a mask and follow COVID-19 safety protocols while in the building.
“I’m just praying that we have enough families that want to participate and we can serve everyone this year,” Capps said. “That’s part of the reason we lessened the number of items to two, so that’s less of a burden on everyone. “We want everyone to have the best Christmas they possibly can.”
For more information about the Adopt-a-Family program, contact the EMAA office at 573- 547-2014.
