Adopt a Family
Thank you for visiting our Adopt a Family page!
Sponsor registration is now closed. We are blessed to report that ALL of the individuals and families in our program have been adopted by caring sponsors like you. If you would like to make a financial gift to touch the lives of the of the more than 26,500 children, youth, families and adults we serve each year, you may do so by clicking here.
Below are several other organizations in the Twin Cities that offer holiday gift-giving programs:
Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners
952-473-2436 or visit http://www.iocp.org/adopt-a-family
East Metro Women's Council
Home for the Holidays!
651-773-8401 x116 http://www.emwc.org
Email caschindler@emwc.org
RESOURCE, Inc.
Adopt a family for the holidays through RRC’s Mothers Achieving Recovery for Family Unity program or provide gifts for children of the fathers in Employment Action Center (EAC)‘s Young Dads program. 612-752-8000 or visit http://www.resource-mn.org
Email sderooy@resource-mn.org
The Salvation Army
Listen to 102.9 Lite FM on Wed Nov 30 between 5am-7pm and Thur Dec 1 from 5am-9am and call 651-746-3577 to Adopt-A-Family. http://thesalarmy.org/adoptafamily.htm
Sponsor Registration Begins: September 15
Drop-off Dates:
- Friday, December 9 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday, December 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Adopt a Family is our annual drive to provide holiday gifts and a meal to needy families and individuals who are participants of Volunteers of America-Minnesota programs. Please Note: If you are not a current Volunteers of America participant and need holiday assistance, please contact the United Way at (651) 291-0211 for a list of other agencies that may be able to help you meet your needs.
What is it? Adopt-a-Family is our annual event to benefit low-income older adults, families, at-risk youth attending alternative schools, youth receiving mental health services, foster children and persons with special needs. Sponsors "adopt" a child, family, or older adult(s) and purchase gifts from a wish list written by the recipient themselves.
How are recipients chosen? Volunteers of America -Minnesota's program staff refer Volunteers of America-Minnesota program participants for "adoption" when guidelines are met — they are low-income, isolated, will not receive other holiday support. This program would have a positive impact on their lives.
How much does participating in Adopt-a-Family cost? Volunteers of America-Minnesota does not set a "giving level" for sponsors. Sponsors participate at a level with which they are comfortable. For more information, please see the Questions and Answers page on the left side "Inside This Section"sidebar.
You may, if you choose, help the program with a monetary donation. Your financial gift will be used to purchase gifts for additional families who are added to the program late, or may not have been adopted. Make a donation online.
Why is this important? This annual event provides an opportunity for Volunteers of America-Minnesota to remember those who are less fortunate during the holidays and provides individual and organizational volunteers the opportunity to engage with us to impact the lives of individuals and communities.
Ways you can participate:
1. Adopt a family, child or older adult. Sponsors purchase gifts from wish lists written by the recipients, wrap and label them, and bring them to the Volunteers of America-Minnesota Adopt a Family drop-off site: Sri Venkateswara Temple (lower level) located at 7615 Metro Boulevard, Edina, MN 55439. Staff will be at this location from on Friday, December 9 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. -- and Saturday, December 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If there are special circumstances that require the drop-off of gifts sooner, please contact Events at 952-945-4000 or events@voamn.org.
Each gift recipient completes a wish list with gift suggestions, which we pass on to you as a sponsor.
- The wish list is meant to be a shopping guide. You are under no obligation to purchase all/any of the listed items. The wish list(s) will be sent out the week of November 21 (for sponsors who registered by November 1).
- If you are sponsoring a family or senior, we ask that a gift certificate to a grocery store be included to help toward the purchase of a holiday meal. (Please do not include grocery gift cards for individual children.)
- Volunteers of America-Minnesota does not set a giving level for sponsors. Please participate at a level with which you are comfortable.
- We ask that gifts be wrapped and dropped off as listed above. Labeling instructions, drop off hours and directions will be included when you receive your wish list(s).
- Because of privacy issues, Volunteers of America-Minnesota staff delivers gifts directly to recipients.
- If you would like to adopt a person or family of a certain demographic, we will try our best to match your request. However, we must ultimately make matches according to the recipients' greatest needs.
Register to adopt a family, child or older adult: To register, you will need to state the number of families and the family size you would like to sponsor (i.e., 2-10 members), or if you would like to sponsor a single older adult(s) or child/children. We will then send you a confirmation email and/or letter. Wish lists will be mailed out the week of November 21 (for sponsors who registered by November 1). If you have questions or concerns, please contact Events at 952-945-4000 or events@voamn.org.
2. Adopt-a-Program. You can provide direct help for one of our programs by purchasing items from a program's wish list that will benefit program participants throughout the year. Program wish lists will be available in early October. We will then send you a confirmation email and/or letter. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Events at 952-945-4000 or events@voamn.org.
3. Make an easy and impactful monetary donation to Adopt a Family. Your financial gifts will be used to purchase gift cards for individuals and families, as well as provide gifts for additional families. Make a donation online.
4. Help spread the word.