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The BEST gift this holiday is giving to those in need!
Looking for a unique and memorable gift this holiday season?
Consider adopting a local family.
Churches in Mission is looking for sponsors to help local families with food, warm clothing, Christmas gifts, and household items. The Mission receives referrals of families from local churches, schools, Head Start and other organizations who could use assistance. Families are currently available to sponsor. Sponsors can be anyone - businesses, civic groups, a person, family, or group of friends.
If you aren’t able to sponsor a family, consider donations of items for the Mission’s Christmas distribution. Items in need at this time are new warm children’s clothing, gift items for teens, and educational toys. Food (breakfast foods, canned meal items such as ravioli & stew, holiday meal items, etc.) and hygiene items (shampoo, soap, toilet paper, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) are welcome donations as well. Holiday distribution of items from the Mission begins Wednesday, Dec. 2. Needs vary as distribution progresses, so you may wish to contact the Mission for up-to-the-minute items in need.
If you have questions or would like to make a tax-deductible monetary contribution, contact the Mission at 831-3987 or stop by the Mission at 27 S. Indiana St. in Mooresville. Regular hours for donations and assistance are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9a.m. to noon and for donations only on Thursday evenings from 6-8p.m. You can also visit our web site at
www.churchesinmission.org .
Families are Signing Up for Adoption Now.
Contact Churches in Mission for more information.
Help Churches In Mission Help Others. Here’s How It Works:
Who Can Sponsor? Any person, family, office, club, or group of friends is welcome to sponsor a family.
What Does the Sponsor Do? Churches in Mission has received referrals from local schools, Head Start, and other organizations of families who are in need this holiday season. More than 400 families were referred and adopted last year. The families have completed “wish lists” with information about possible gift items and clothing sizes. The families have authorized their information to be shared with potential sponsors and know they will be contacted by the sponsor. A sponsor should contact the family or the referral organization (school counselor, etc.) if there are any questions about the wish list.
How Much Does it Cost to Sponsor? You should anticipate spending about $70-80 per child (covers clothing & gift items), $30-$35 per adult family member (covers gift items, clothing, or household items), and about $10-20 per family member for food items (covers a holiday dinner and meals for while the kids are on winter break). A family with two adults and two children would be about $220-$310. These are estimates – some family members may need a new coat while others don’t – but if you can spend more money please consider adopting a larger family or a second family.
How Are the Gifts Delivered? The sponsor is responsible for contacting the family about delivery. Please contact the family at least two weeks before Christmas to make arrangements. Items can be gift-wrapped but consider using gift bags or wrapping boxes with separate lids so parents can see the gifts before giving them to their children. Using Post-Its to mark which items are for which person is helpful or sponsors can just purchase wrapping items for the adopted parents to use. Some adopted families have transportation and others don’t, so the sponsor may need to deliver items to a home or may arrange to meet at a workplace, school, or other location.
Do the Families In Need Get Items from Other Places? Organizing the adoption of families through the Mission helps us insure that as many families as possible are covered without duplication. We also work with organizations around the county to cross-check which families will be helped by which group. The families are all eligible to receive a few items from the Mission, including stuffed animals and books. Mission clients are eligible to receive grocery assistance and shop at the Mission for donated clothing, toys, and household items year-round.
Are there Other Ways to Help? Families that are not adopted out will be sponsored by the Mission or by the Salvation Army. Donations always needed include gifts for teens (art kits, room décor, makeup, jewelry, MP3 players, skateboards, Colts/Pacers/Nascar items, handheld electronics, body wash/cologne items, dart boards, wallets, etc.), warm clothing (hoodies & jeans are always needed), board games, and food. Monetary donations are also helpful so we can purchase items needed most or if you’re going shopping, call the Mission to find out what items are low. Charitable donation receipts are available at the Mission.
Can I Volunteer My Time? Absolutely! The NMCCAP (Northern Morgan County Christmas Assistance Program) in coordination with the Salvation Army will be ringing bells this year at Kroger, Marsh and Walmart on weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The monies collected from the bell ringing help families at Christmas time (those not otherwise adopted) as well as for emergency assistance for Northern Morgan County families throughout the year. The bell ringing is divided up into 2-hour shifts at each location. For more information, contact Joni Hopwood at 979-8836 or bjkdhks@comcast.net .
Thank you for Thinking of Others at the Holidays.
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