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Sign-up period opens for those wishing to be Adopt-A-Family Holiday Program sponsors

By Amy Rollins, Skwyrighter Staff / Published November 14, 2017

Community readiness specialists Sharron Griffin-Gorham, left, and Jackie Shazor are asking the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base community to support this year’s Adopt-A-Family Holiday Program. (Skywrighter photo/Amy Rollins)
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Community readiness specialists Sharron Griffin-Gorham, left, and Jackie Shazor are asking the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base community to support this year’s Adopt-A-Family Holiday Program. (Skywrighter photo/Amy Rollins)

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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The sign-up period to become a sponsor in the Adopt-A-Family Holiday Program, coordinated by the Airman and Family Readiness Center and the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base First Sergeant Council, is now open.

The program’s guidelines remain the same as previous years: Military members with the rank of E-5 and below as well as reservists and civilians with the grade of GS-5 and below are eligible. Only first sergeants may submit names, but they will take suggestions of eligible families who could benefit from the program.

“The Adopt-A-Family Holiday Program is important because we have a lot of single moms and families who have several children and just aren’t able to provide for them and everyday expenses plus lots of extras,” said Sharron Griffin-Gorham, community readiness specialist. “We feel the children and their parents deserve a really merry Christmas, and we have a lot of people on- and off-base who want to give back to the military community.”

“We want to make sure the public knows how those in the base community care for one another,” said Jackie Shazor, community readiness specialist. “We don’t want anyone to fall short of being cared for during the holidays. This is a time for memories, with happiness and no stress.”

The unit first sergeants determine the eligibility of active-duty military and civilian families who need assistance with holiday gifts for their children up to age 18.

Sponsors adopting a family will go to the AFRC, Bldg. 2, Area A, on Nov. 15 and be given an envelope containing only information listing the gender and age of the child or children, a code name and a suggested gift list. Up to three brand-new gifts per child are suggested, and they must be wrapped and labeled with the correct code. Gift cards or similar gifts are acceptable for the parents, too. Monetary donations to support the program are welcome; checks should be made payable to “Family Services.”

The wrapped, tagged gifts for reservists must be brought to the AFRC no later than Nov. 27 so they may be distributed Dec. 2-3, a reserve weekend. Late gifts may disappoint the intended recipients.

“It’s not fair to the children when they get gifts in January and their parents were on duty in December,” Griffin-Gorham commented.

Gifts for active-duty families must arrive at the A&FRC no later than Dec. 8. The first sergeants will pick them up Dec. 18. To become an Adopt-A-Family Holiday Program sponsor, contact Griffin-Gorham at Sharron.Griffin-Gorham@us.af.mil, 257-8749; or Shazor at Jacqueline.Shazor@us.af. mil, 904-0216.