Judith Stamper (left) and Molly Pritchard (right) have been participating as Adopt A Family volunteers for decades.
Christmas isn’t the same without Adopt A Family.
There is something magical about seeing so many Adopt A Family volunteers and members of the community come together to create a meaningful and memorable holiday for others.
Judith first heard about Share Ourselves in 1986. She was going to school to become a medical assistant while Share Ourselves was setting up our first medical clinic. She then began adopting families and got her church involved with the program too.
Judith has two boys who are now grown, but when they were young, she would involve them in the Adopt A Family program. She always talked to them about the family they were adopting and got them thinking about what a 3-year-old girl would like or what to get for her 14-year-old sister. This was a fun opportunity to engage her whole family and help her own children understand that there are other kids in need.
Molly joined Share Ourselves in 2012 by volunteering in the food pantry. One week during her shift, she was approached about writing profiles for the Adopt A Family program. Our profile writers describe what each family is going through and how items on their wish lists will impact their lives. Molly has been part of the program ever since.
“For me, Adopt A Family is my Christmas. I don’t have grandchildren, but I happen to love Christmas. The idea that we’re helping so many families is a very special thing for me,” said Molly.
Helping families in need
Molly and Judith joined the Adopt A Family committee in 2017 after having volunteered as profile writers for several years. This past year, they served as volunteer co-chairs of the event, ensuring everything came together smoothly to make the program a success.
For both of them, the stories of each family remain the heart of the program. Adopt A Family is not about simply donating and wrapping gifts. Rather, volunteers and donors get to read about each individual family, allowing them to get to know the recipients on a deeper level–from their wishes to their struggles.
Reading about each family is what connects people in the community. Molly and Judith can both attest that when you hear these stories, “the first thing you want to do is go out shopping so they can have a great holiday.”
“I use Adopt A Family as an opportunity every year to remind myself how privileged I am. When reading those stories, I’m reminded of how courageous these families are and how they’re trying their best,” said Judith.
Join Molly and Judith this upcoming holiday season to experience the true joy of Adopt A Family!