Please contact to [email protected], or call 260-492-2771. ADOPT A FAMILY GUIDELINES
Your responsibilities include:
1. To provide a complete Christmas Day meal, canned food & packaged products. Also, a gift certificate for meat & produce is required. Please, do not include perishables.
2. To provide staple items for the family’s pantry, i.e. laundry detergent, toilet paper, toothpaste, deodo
rant, soap, cleansers, flour, sugar, peanut butter, oatmeal, rice, etc.
3. One new outfit of clothing for each family member. (Gift wrapped)
4. One new toy/gift for each infant, child & teenager. (Gift wrapped)
5. Some families ask for special needs. These may be met if possible & practical. Do not feel that you need to meet all of them.
6. One box per person of used clothing & toys that are age appropriate, clean, and gently worn are acceptable. Please do not put in any clothing that you would not want to receive. Remember, this is the only Christmas the family receives! We will be sending you a complete set of instructions and specific information regarding your adopted family, including when, where, and how to deliver your gifts. VOLUNTEER
Volunteers are needed Dec. 5, 6 and 7, 2022. Please contact [email protected] or call 260-710-2163. MISSION STATEMENT
The Mission of the Allen County Christmas Bureau, Inc, is to provide a brighter Christmas holiday for those with limited resources. The Allen County Christmas Bureau, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to assisting needy families in Allen County with gifts for Christmas. These gifts consist of food, paper products, personal hygiene items, cleaning needs, toys, clothing and other household needs, and are collected for the families through the Adopt a Family Program. The Christmas Bureau works with social service agencies whose case managers refer their clients. The clients are then matched with businesses, churches, individuals, organizations and schools who have committed to adopting a family for the holiday season. The family names of the clients and the adopters are strictly confidential, one from the other. The adopters bring the gifts to the Christmas Bureau for pick-up and delivery by the case managers. The Christmas Bureau obtains potential adopters through a mass mailing sent out in September of each year. The adopters fill out a form indicating their commitment level. After the form has been returned to the Christmas Bureau, the committee matches the clients with the adopters. The Christmas Bureau is an all-volunteer organization. There are no paid employees. The operation site of the Christmas Bureau is in a building donated by a member of the community. In 2021, the Christmas Bureau adopted 366 families ranging in size from singles to a family with 9 members, with ages ranging from newborns to seniors. We commenced our operation with a Case Manager Open House in August, at which time the guidelines were explained. As soon as the forms were returned to us each family was given a code, entered into the computer, and families were matched to adopters. Gifts were distributed in early December. In 2021, 4,143 boxes and packages were distributed, along with 88 bicycles. The Christmas Bureau also collects food, personal hygiene items, paper products and cleaning needs in order to fill in when some of the families’ boxes are lacking in those areas. This collection takes place the week prior to opening the site for receiving gifts. Any supplies remaining are delivered to area food banks and organizations. The Board of Directors of the Allen County Christmas Bureau, Inc. is made up of many factions of the community. The major qualification of being a board member is the ability and willingness to work as a member of the board and at the site. We have a lengthy list of volunteers who ably assist us each year, including the staff and work crews of Allen County Community Corrections. Also, donuts, lunches, soft drinks and water are provided for our volunteers by individuals and businesses in the community at very little charge. The Christmas Bureau is a 501(c)(3) organization and, therefore, all contributions are tax deductible. Money collected is used to pay minimal operating expenses such as printing, postage, tax preparation, liability insurance, minimal food for volunteers and miscellaneous office expenses. The Bureau also funds additional gifts for families when needed, plus makes donations to other organizations in the community. Questions or comments may be addressed to the Allen County Christmas Bureau, Inc. at P. Box 13265, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46868, or by calling Jane Surbeck at (260) 710-2163.
