A reason to give thanks

Paul Saitowitz

The idea behind Thanksgiving is to give thanks for everything positive

that has happened over the past year. The people at Project

Self-Sufficiency have taken things a step further with their Thanksgiving

Adopt-A-Family program.

Instead of just giving thanks they are giving people the opportunity

to give thanks.

Project Self--Sufficiency has been in existence helping low-income

single parents of minors since 1985. The program assists families in

covering everything from child care to college tuition costs. The age of

the parents involved ranges from 24 to 45.

“We have some young single moms that have ended up on welfare or in

bad situations and we also have people that have gotten a bit older and

realized that it’s time to turn their lives around,” Project

Self-Sufficiency Director Susan Edwards said.

Of the 100 families involved, about 90 of them will participate in the

Thanksgiving Adopt-A-Family program. The number of volunteers totals more

than 1,500.

“The community really gets behind this program, and it really helps

make Thanksgiving special,” Edwards said.

Cub Scout troops, corporate businesses, small businesses, gardening

clubs and individuals are just some of the groups involved with the

program. Edwards finds the volunteers through flyers and advertisements

as well as through a newsletter she sends out before the holiday season.

The program has grown exponentially since its beginning.

“It’s just me and one other person, so we’re about as busy as we can

be right now,” Edwards said.

Edwards will match the volunteers with the families and the volunteers

will usually send the families a letter asking them what type of

assistance they could use for the holiday. Often times large groups will

pitch in and provide a number of different grocery-store items in

addition to the traditional Thanksgiving-day trappings.

“Once the two groups get in touch with each other they will figure out

when a convenient time to drop off the goods is,” Edwards said.

Edwards does not encourage the volunteers to invite the families to

their homes for dinner.

“I think it’s great if they meet each other and establish a type of

rapport, but having the meal together can be an invasion of privacy,”

Edwards said.

Not all the families and volunteers end up meeting. Some groups prefer

to send the families gift certificates or flat sums to do with what they

like.

Since it’s inception Edwards has not had a single exchange backfire.

“I’ve asked people not to participate after talking to them on the

phone, but I think that’s only happened twice,” she said. “It’s been a

very successful program.”

So successful that there are similar programs related to Christmas and

Easter.

“I’ve been involved for about three years and we adopt different

families for all the different holidays,” volunteer Bridget O’Neil said.

“We like to call the families and find out where they shop and then give

them a gift certificate to use there.”

Edwards also stressed that although the holiday season is a great time

to donate nonperishable items, there are families in need throughout the

year. Project Self-Sufficiency’s food pantry accepts donations year

round.

FYI

Project Self-Sufficiency’s Adopt-A--Family program. A program designed

to help single-parent low-income families with Thanksgiving. Information:

(714) 536-5439.