Save the Family seeks holiday sponsors in West Valley
Litchfield Park and Goodyear residents can provide Thanksgiving meals and holiday gifts through the Mesa-based nonprofit
Submitted photo/Robyn Julien
Clare, left, poses with her three children. According to Save the Family, her children now donate to the holiday program that once supported their family.
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It’s really about helping the family celebrate the holidays in a dignified way.”
— Robyn Julien, Save the Family CEO
HOW TO HELP
Thanksgiving: Sign up by Nov. 13; drop off Nov. 19. Provide food and a $75 grocery gift card.
Winter holidays: Sign up by Dec. 4; drop off Dec. 15. Budget $50 to $75 per child for wrapped, labeled gifts, plus a $50 grocery gift card.
Drop-offs: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Save the Family, 125 E. University Drive, Mesa.
Sign up: savethefamily.org/adopt-a-family
Questions: Christine Haas, 480-707-3301 or christine.haas@savethefamily.org
When Clare entered Save the Family’s program, she was unemployed and needed a place for her family to live.
Now, her children donate to the same holiday program that once helped them, according to the nonprofit.
Save the Family works with families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. CEO Robyn Julien said holiday donations help parents provide celebrations while managing everyday expenses.
“It’s really about helping the family celebrate the holidays in a dignified way,” Julien said.
This holiday season, Litchfield Park and Goodyear residents can help other families through Save the Family’s Adopt a Family for the Holidays program. Although the nonprofit is based in Mesa, West Valley residents and businesses can sponsor a family and make the trip to drop off donations.
Residents who prefer to help without making the drive can donate online at savethefamily.org/donate.
“It would be a big help if they donated online,” Julien stated. “We always have a need for gift cards.”
Julien said rent, child care and groceries can leave little room for presents or a holiday meal. Donations allow parents to create memories with their children without adding to that financial strain.
Thanksgiving sponsors provide holiday favorites like stuffing, potatoes, gravy and green beans, along with a $75 grocery gift card for turkey and other perishable items. Families prepare the meals themselves and can choose fresh ingredients.
The deadline to sponsor a family for Thanksgiving is Nov. 13. Donations should be dropped off 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 19 at Save the Family in Mesa, 125 E. University Drive.
For the winter holidays, case managers work with parents to gather children’s wish lists. Donors are encouraged to budget $50 to $75 per child and provide a $50 grocery gift card.
“We want the kids to have a great Christmas holiday, but we also want all of the kids in need to be helped,” Julien said.
Holiday sponsors must sign up by Dec. 4. Gifts should be delivered 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 15. Case managers then deliver them to families, allowing parents to keep the gifts a surprise.
Julien said donation drop-off day makes for a lively parking lot.
“It’s a little bit crazy,” she said. “It is really fun.”
Individuals, families, businesses and community groups can sign up at savethefamily.org/adopt-a-family and request a smaller or larger family. Staff then match donors with a family and provide shopping information.
The holiday program supported hundreds of families last year. With demand rising, Julien expects it to help more than 300 this season.
The work continues after the decorations come down. Save the Family typically works alongside families for about a year, providing employment assistance, financial education and other support as parents work toward paying their own housing costs.
“Our goal is always to get our families back to being self-sufficient,” Julien said.
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