Catholic Charities looking for individuals, families to adopt a family for Christmas

Catholic Charities of Sacramento and Northern Valley Catholic Social Service are seeking individuals or families interested in “adopting” a local family in need for Christmas. Donors are asked to provide gifts of toys, clothing as well as a grocery store gift card for the family.

The program at Northern Valley Catholic Social Service will run through Dec. 18 (dates vary by county). Visit www.nvcss.org for program details and how you can get involved.

For Catholic Charities of Sacramento, information and gift suggestions for the family to be adopted will be available to donors starting Friday, Nov. 16. Donations need to be delivered to 2110 Broadway in Sacramento on Dec. 12 or 13 and adopted families will pick up their gifts on Saturday, Dec. 15. Donors who wish to adopt a family must submit a form no later than Friday, Nov. 30. For more information, call Beatrice Menchaca at (916) 733-0253 or visit the link below to www.catholiccharitiessacramento.org to apply to be a donor online.

Catholic Charities officials say they anticipate that more families will be in need this year than in years before. Many families in local communities struggle financially, especially at Christmastime. The Adopt-a-Family program provides an opportunity for caring individuals, families, churches, neighborhood groups, schools, organizations and businesses to “adopt” a family in need.

For Christmas 2011, Adopt-a-Family programs provided gifts to more than 1,000 families in Sacramento, Butte, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties, bringing the spirit of sharing and generosity into the lives of donors, recipients and communities alike.