Adopt-A-Family

enters second year
By Caroline Monday
cmonday@mountaintimes.com

The Children’s Council is offering local businesses the opportunity to adopt a family this holiday season.

The organization is asking businesses to donate goods, such as toys, kerosene or fuel, gas cards, warm clothes, Wal-Mart gift cards and other necessities to families served by the Children’s Council.

Jennifer Wilson-Kearse, Children’s Council executive director, said the council serves the families who can be adopted through their Parents as Teachers program, an in-home program providing parents with information on child development and parenting.

Wilson-Kearse said the organization hopes to provide for 12 families by having local businesses adopt them.

She said these families are not able to receive other services available to families in need, and the Adopt-a-Family effort is designed to help them get through the holiday season.

In addition to toys, Wilson-Kearse emphasized the importance of gifts to these families that will help them heat their homes, especially with the ever-increasing price of fuel.

The Children’s Council’s work with these families allows them to know which families need help and how they can be helped the best. Wilson-Kearse said many of the families are single-parent households where the need to earn money may keep parents from spending as much time with their children as they would like.

For more information about how your business can become involved in this program, contact Robin Triplett at the Children’s Council at (828) 262-5424 or via e-mail at robinccwci@bellsouth.net.