Adopt-A-Family Committee

The Adopt-A-Family Committee has the responsibility of helping two families in need during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter holidays.

General information

The chair is responsible for the following three tasks:

Facilitate the selection of families, purchase and wrapping of gifts, and delivery of the gifts. A process for accomplishing these tasks can be seen below.
Review and update Adopt-A-Family information on the ASURA Web. Note: All change requests should be sent to the Technology Manager
Review and update Adopt-A-Family process below. Note: All change requests should be sent to the Technology Manager

Adopt-A-Family process

The following material, prepared by Joan Leard in February 2013, outlines the general process that she used in carrying out the ASURA Adopt-A-Family program. ASURA supports two families each year one from the Tempe schools and one from ASU.

Tempe School District

In October contact a Tempe Schools District social worker, currently Jackie Favaro (jfavaro@tempeschools.org). The social worker supplies a needy family with information about:

names, ages, sizes, and
any special requests including where they shop for food.

ASU family

In October contact Off Campus Student Services (OCSS/Family Resources), the office which works with many campus departments to supply needy ASU families with needed items at Christmas and beyond.

The office will pick a family that meets the ASURA requirements:

an ASU student
with a family and
taking courses toward a degree.

and supply:

names, ages, sizes, and
any special requests including where they shop for food.

When to purchase?

Thanksgiving purchases are made in early November, Christmas purchases in early December, and Easter purchases well before Easter.

What to purchase?

Typical purchases include:

clothing for each family member,
a food card for Thanksgiving dinner, and
try to satisfy any special requests.

How to get discounts?

Discounts are possible. Joan Leard shopped at JC Penny’s at Tempe Marketplace and each time contacted a store manager and received 15% off all purchases. She also shopped at Target for things not available at JC Penny’s and also received a 10% discount.

How to pay?

Purchases are made using an ASURA credit card that is supplied by the Business Manager. If a personal credit card or cash is used, get a receipt and submit it to the Business Manager for a reimbursement.

Preparation

Requested gift receipts for purchases and included with the delivery.
Cut tags from items and wrap Christmas items including toys with Christmas paper.
Place the items for the other holiday deliveries, unwrapped, in large baskets that can be purchased at thrift stores.

Delivery

Committee members never meet the families; it is the social worker and ASU representative who actually deliver the gifts to the families. So, when the gifts are ready for delivery, ask the social worker and ASU representative when and where they would like you to deliver the gifts.

ASURA adopts a budget figure for this program in the fall. Historically this has been $2,000. This number is not cast in concrete a request for additional funds is possible. Much of the program's funding is supported thru donations to the program by members during membership renewal.

Created 2013 by Joan Leard / Updated March 2018 by Joan and Barry McNeill