For families facing a crisis at this time of year, Christmas gift giving and receiving can seem like an unattainable goal. But thanks to Wimberley Good Neighbor, an all-volunteer organization, 25 families will get some of the Christmas spirit despite their circumstances.
They were selected as part of the Adopt-A-Family program. School counselors and area nonprofits handed out applications to families who they identified as having the greatest needs.
Adopt-A-Family caseworker Ava Braslau wrote that those selected for the 2023 program were “struggling to attain housing, pay rent and electricity bills, gain reliable transportation, meet medical expenses, or to provide adequate warm clothing and food for themselves and their children.”
According to Wimberley Good Neighbor president and one of its founding board members, Deena Gardow, most of the families are hardworking people who are facing a crisis. Some have kids in honors classes who deserve to be remembered at this time of year. “They are understandably embarrassed to ask for help but dearly wanted to make sure their children had a special holiday,” she said.
Gardow explained that “Wimberley Good Neighbor has grants that can be used to help some of the families, but we count on community support to help all of them. For example, the Start-Up Kids Club donated five bicycles on the Adopt-A-Family list. Our donors and other members of the community have told us that it’s a yearly tradition to adopt a family going through a crisis rather than to buy presents for themselves that they neither want nor need.”
Itzel White Nuñez served as a translator for several Spanish-speaking families chosen by caseworkers. A couple of them recently gained political asylum in the U.S. because of circumstances outside their making, arriving just weeks and months ago. None had their basic needs met, much less internet or telephone service. She spent considerable time meeting with them and understanding the extent of their needs.
“Their requests were small,” said White Nuñez. “Most of them asked for things under $25. I can tell you that all of the families were extremely grateful to be included in the Adopt-A-Family program.”
One of the families she assisted, she said, works full-time in town but doesn’t own a car. One parent requested a wagon with a seat belt for her baby so that she could walk to the places they needed to go. Other parents requested bicycles for their children, but did not ask anything for themselves, other than a family gift that would benefit them all.
Adoptions and purchases for the Adopt-A-Family program must be completed by December 15 in order for the items to be delivered by Christmas. Members of the community can adopt an entire family or make purchases for several families. To learn more and peruse the wish lists, go to https://wimberleygoodneighbor. org/adopt-a-family/ Additional items for the families can be received at Wimberley Donuts, 201 FM2325, in the AAF Toy Box.
