The Season of Giving: Adopt-A-Family Update

We did it!  We collected a LOT of food and gifts from 13 uM families on Sunday at Urban Grind NE (what a great spot) and delivered it to the Salvation Army today (thanks, Olivia!).  They, in turn, will pass it along to 'our family' on the 20th.  This was a true collective effort, bringing together uM families from all over Portland to give this mama and her three kids a little lift for the holidays.  We provided all the required food (and then some) and came through on even the hard-to-find gifts (4 stores for the v-smile!). Plus... the very generous gift certificates that readers and the blog gave for Old Navy, Freddie's, and Bed, Bath & Beyond.  And, of course, we met new friends.  Always a plus.

While food and gifts one month doesn't fix the problem this and other low-income families face, it is a way to share what we have, a way to let this mama know that someone cares.  And undeniably, it is a way to raise consciousness - for us and our children, to consider how it would feel to have no sheets on our beds, to not be able to provide for our kids.  Thanks to the Salvation Army's Cascade Division for connecting us with this family, for giving us the opportunity to make this a season for giving in our homes.  And, importantly, for providing me with an answer to my 5-year-old son's question a few days ago: "So what's Christmas really about, anyway?" 

Comments

[jj]

Thanks Lisa, for organizing this! I was happy to be a (small) part of it. I would love this to be an annual uM tradition, especially as my kids get older and can participate more, too.

[olivia]

I also wanted to thank Lisa for organizing. It allowed so many of us to participate - as much or as little as we could. I felt privileged to participate and to be the one to drop off all the goods. The elves over at the Salvation Army were gleaming with delight, and I left feeling warm & fuzzy.

Thank you to the baker's-dozen families who participated! Looking forward to making it an annual event.

[TJ]

I'm not a regular poster on UM or Activistas, but I just wanted to throw this out there.

I think it's fantastic that people bonded together on this site to adopt a family in need for the holidays, I am surprised that out of all the charitable organizations to donate towards, that a Salvation Army affiliate was chosen as a receipient. Are people aware of the SA's stances and issue papers on marriage (must be between a man and woman only), homosexuality (people who consider themselves gay must be celibate), abortion (anti-choice), artificial insemination (they don't approve of third party donors, yet insemination between "husband and wife" is acceptable), and much more. and more.

Christian or not, their "beliefs" are a slap in the face of many families (certainly same-sex parents) and parents who might be part of this community. Their issue papers (from the national SA site) are here:
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn.nsf/vw-dynamic-arrays/85256DDC007274DF80256B7D004E8E3A

I honestly don't mean to negate the act of what I know was meant as a goodwill gesture in the spirit of the holidays. I just wondered how much people knew about the Salvation Army and had evaluated its principles against other locally based organizations doing similar work that are less discriminatory and more accepting.

[Lisa]

Thanks for the organizational context. While I don't profess to be all knowing about every org's everything, it is good to note/learn from others who do know and consider for next time. Might you know of any local orgs offering this type of program that have less objectionable policies? We plan to do this in future years, so recommendations are welcome.

[TJ]

Well, I'm not sure exactly what your group had in mind when choosing a family to adopt from the Salvation Army. Was it a family living in a short-term transitional housing program, or emergency shelter, or...? There are quite a few other agencies which have both, or one of of these. Some are specific (women and children only, full families, families specifically with parents with addictions, etc.) I'd be glad to make some other suggestions with more ideas about what you all had in mind.