Oct 31

Oct 31 Adopt-a-Family

Cover photo by Thom Milkovic | Updated for 2022

This is the 25th year of Help of Ojai's "Adopt-a-Family" project which connects Ojai Valley families in need to community members who can give a little extra during the holiday season.

VORTEX signed up to participate in the program and was matched with a family of five; two adults and three kids (aged two years to eleven). We bought gifts for each at about $30-40 and a gift card to a local grocery store. Gift cards are great because families can shop for their favorite foods and accommodate any sensitivities they may have. Case manager Whitney Nunes encourages folks to stick to the budget per gift, as they want to keep things equal across families. Many choose to adopt a second family or a senior.

HERE IS WHAT WE RECEIVED FOR OUR GIFTING ASSIGNMENT IN 2022

Some folks, unable to shop for gifts, contribute with monetary donations. Help of Ojai uses that assistance to adopt any families who may end up on a waitlist. Anything left over goes into stocking their Food Pantry, which got a significant upgrade with the move to its new facility on South Montgomery Street.

Help of Ojai appreciates receiving gift cards to grocery stores or other local shops. They can give them out to families who need a little extra help or keep them to hand out throughout the year when a family comes along with an uncommon request. They also see a lot of food drives for the pantry during this time of year.

“…And we love it. We are asking one thing: Please, no green beans, corn, canned beans, or pasta.”

Whitney explains that the group has an overabundance of these items from past food drives. “If anyone would like to donate food, we appreciate it. Currently, we are getting low on soup, mac and cheese, condiments, mixed vegetables, fruit, and cereal.”

“We also love getting items that make the food box a little more fun, and that could include alfredo sauce, granola bars, nuts, Rice-a-Roni type meals, boxed milk, and pancake or waffle mix.”

Help of Ojai will need a few extra hands. Whitney explains, “We will need volunteers…I am not sure how many we will need this year, but we are happy to try and find everyone a volunteer spot who needs one.” As expected, 2021 saw a lot of families join in. “We adopted out 108 families, which totaled 232 children served.” They also had 46 vulnerable seniors participate. This year, signing up is easier than ever.