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2009 Adopt-A-Family Program Los Angeles, California | ||
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We have prepared this list of Frequently Asked Questions to hopefully make the process of adopting a family a little easier. If you have any questions or need clarification on any of the responses below, please feel free to call or email Maxine Moshay at (213) 252-0772, ext. 115 or mmoshay@beyondshelter.org. How does the program work exactly? The Adopt-A-Family Program connects sponsors with families to "adopt" by providing them with a family profile and wish list. Sponsors buy presents for their specific families and deliver them wrapped to Beyond Shelter. Case Managers then deliver the presents to the families. [Please note: This program serves homeless families in Los Angeles County.] Would we be adopting the parents as well as the children in a family? Yes, in this program, both the parents and the children get adopted. Remember, to help children we must also help the parents who are raising them. Who are the families that get adopted? The families that get adopted are homeless families enrolled in Beyond Shelter’s “Housing First” Program for Homeless Families. This program helps homeless families move out of shelters and into permanent housing as quickly as possible. Once back in housing, each family is provided with home-based case management to help them stabilize and rebuild their lives. Okay, I would like to adopt a family. What now? Once you decide to adopt a family, please email Maxine Moshay at mmoshay@beyondshelter.org to request a sponsor form. On the sponsor form, in addition to providing basic contact information, you will need to specify your preference in the size of the family you adopt. Once you submit your sponsor form, we will send you a family profile via email or fax as soon as possible. However, turnaround times may vary depending on the amount of people submitting sponsor forms at any given time. We thank you ahead of time for your patience. [Please note: Profiles will be available beginning in November 2009.] Do we get to choose the family we adopt or will a family be assigned to us? A family will be assigned to you based on the information you provide on your sponsor form, such as preference in family size. We have X amount of people in our group. How big of a family should we adopt, or should we adopt more than one family? The number of families you adopt should be based on the amount of money you are able to raise/spend as a group rather than on the amount of people who participate in the adoption. Smaller groups or groups with less financial resources usually opt to adopt a smaller family whereas larger groups or groups with more financial resources tend to adopt larger families or several families. How much does it cost to adopt a family? The cost of adopting a family varies. Obviously adopting a larger family (i.e. two parents with five children) will cost more than adopting a smaller family (single parent with one child). However, while there is no set amount, previous sponsors have spent an average of approximately $100 - $150 per family member and some people choose to go beyond that. Oftentimes individuals who would like to adopt a family invite their friends or family members to adopt a family with them, which helps to off-set the cost to any one individual. How many gifts should we give each person? Ideally, each family member would receive at least 3 substantial gifts. However, there is no maximum amount of gifts that you can give to each family. How many items do the families typically request? Each family member has the opportunity to indicate 3 items he/she most needs and 3 items he/she most wants. Am I obligated to get everything on the wish list? You are definitely not obligated to get everything on a family’s wish list. The wish list is just a guide and a helpful tool to use while shopping for a family. What if the family asks for something really expensive? Occasionally a family might ask for a more expensive item and you are by no means obligated to get it. What information is included in the family profile? The family profiles include the following:
What kinds of gifts do families typically request? The types of gifts requested by families varies, however some examples include: clothing, shoes, toys, baby items, games, educational toys, bedding, towels, sheets, small kitchen appliances (i.e. blenders, toasters, pot & pans), movie tickets or tickets to the zoo or theme parks. Does everything need to be new? What about used items? Yes. All toys and gifts for the families need to be new. No used items are accepted. However, the only exception is for items such as computers or video game systems (Wii, Playstation, Gamecube, etc.). No used clothes, toys, or household items are accepted. Can we deliver the gifts directly to the family? Can we meet the family we adopt? No, all wrapped gifts are delivered to the families by each family’s case manager. What if I agree to adopt a family, and then I need to back out at the last minute? Before submitting your sponsor form, please consider deeply if you are able to commit to the family you adopt. Should the presents be wrapped or unwrapped? All presents should be wrapped & labeled. How should the presents be labeled? How should we sign the tag? Each wrapped present should be labeled clearly with the recipient’s first and last name. Some sponsors choose to sign the tag “From Santa” or a variation thereof. Others choose to sign their own names (i.e. “From the Smith Family”). You can decide how you would like to sign the tags. We will leave that up to you. Is it okay to include gift cards? Yes, but please do not only do gift cards. Part of the fun in this program is that families and children have presents to unwrap and open for the Holidays. We were thinking of also including a gift certificate to a local grocery store so the family can purchase items for a holiday meal. Is that okay? Yes. Gift cards for food are a great idea for the families. In general, the most convenient grocery stores are Ralph’s and Food for Less. Is it okay to include food with our gifts? Yes, but please do not include perishable items. Is it okay to include a card from our family/office? Are we allowed to write the family a Christmas card? Yes, you can definitely write a card to the family. That would be very thoughtful. Is it okay to include gift receipts in case the family needs to return something? Yes. Can we give cash to the family we adopt? Yes, but gifts cards are preferred. Do you do pick-ups or do we need to deliver the gifts ourselves? We are not equipped to do pick-ups. All gifts need to be delivered to Beyond Shelter. What is the deadline for participating in the Adopt-A-Family Program? The last day to sign up for the Adopt-A-Family Program is Wednesday, December 9, 2009, unless all the families are already adopted by that time. However, please keep in mind that the deadline to deliver your gifts is Sunday, December 13, 2009. Are all donations tax deductible? All in-kind donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Please consult your tax advisor for further information. Will I receive a tax receipt form for my records? Yes, upon delivery of items, you can request an in-kind donation tax receipt form for your tax records. Please note that these forms are carbon copies and cannot be emailed or faxed. Once we have our gifts wrapped & labeled, what do we do? After your gifts are wrapped & labeled, please deliver them to Beyond Shelter no later than Sunday, December 14, 2009 at Beyond Shelter’s Administrative Offices at: Los Angeles, CA 90017 We are located in Downtown Los Angeles in a Wells Fargo Building at the corner of Wilshire and Lucas (a few blocks west of Figueroa, across the street from Good Samaritan Hospital). There is parking underneath the building in P1, and the entrance to that lot is on Lucas, just south of Wilshire. We are located on the 6 th Floor. Will there be someone there to help me carry up the gifts? Yes, there will be people available to help carry the gifts. [Note: If anyone has an extra dolly or cart that they would like to donate, please let us know]. Can I deliver my gifts before the deadline? Yes, early deliveries are very much appreciated, but please let us know when you are coming in advance. Can we mail our gifts to you? Yes, you can definitely mail your gifts if it is easier for you to do so. I do not live in Los Angeles. Can I still participate in the program? Yes, there are definitely ways to help from afar - and thank you so much for asking. If you do not find a local organization and would like to be involved with Beyond Shelter, you could either send toys & gifts for a family via mail, send a donation to help purchase gifts for a family, or send a general donation to help Beyond Shelter run its programs for homeless families. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Do you have any programs located outside of Los Angeles? No. Do you know of a similar program in my area? Unfortunately not, but perhaps you could try Google or another search engine for a more local program. I would love to help throughout the year. How can I stay involved? Thank you for asking! There are many ways to stay involved throughout the year, including:
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