Helping the neediest

Share Our Selves is celebrating 40 years of benevolence, with the ruby anniversary of its Adopt A Family program.

“It started with some women making sandwiches in their kitchen and giving them to migrant workers,” longtime Adopt A Family volunteer and Coordinator Pat Kramer said. “And just look at where we are now.”

Last year, more than 7,000 children and their families were given holiday cheer by the Adopt A Family program.

More than 1,650 local families are in need of gifts and food in 2009. Local residents, businesses and organizations that are paired with families provide a holiday dinner and/or at least two new gifts for each child in an adopted family. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish signs up for 150 families each year; corporations like Hot Topic and United Health Care also make large contributions, as well as area schools.

SOS has developed a case management program that, through coordinated resources, results in its clients seeing significant improvement in their lives, from medical aid to information about government assistance programs.

“It’s so much more than just the stuff,” Kramer said.

This year has seen notable demographic changes due to the economic upheaval.

Demand is up 40% since April, and SOS is working with many newly poor clients.

The organization said the number of Adopt a Family donors is slightly down this year, and some donors are opting to provide either food or gifts to their adopted families, rather than both.

Conversely, they also are seeing many new donors who had never been affiliated with the program.

Many organizations, families and co-workers are opting to adopt families together or donate funds to SOS this year, rather than exchange gifts.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard and his executive cabinet have chosen to do so, and many families have called SOS to set up donations.

Kramer recalled one extended family of about 14 people that was spread out across the country. Each member of the family had chosen a charity to benefit in lieu of sending gifts, Kramer said. One member chose to adopt an SOS family. The family member then sent a letter detailing their efforts to their relatives.

On Christmas morning, each relative got to open 13 letters from around the country and learn of their family members’ philanthropy.

Another donor was herself a beneficiary of SOS about 15 years ago. She went from being on the street to having a career at a continuation high school.