Adopt A Family

Donate or Sponsor Adopt a Family

Download a Sponsorship Form

What is Adopt A Family?

Getting involved with the annual Adopt A Family program is a fun, easy way to build team spirit in your workplace or community. Working together with your friends or peers to help a family in need will make this holiday season brighter for all of us.

The winter holidays are an especially difficult time for many families living in poverty, as parents feel pressure to create a festive atmosphere while still struggling to meet basic needs. Last year, our generous community adopted 33 families and 84 children in York who are victims of domestic violence and sexual violence. This year, we are expecting even more applications. Please consider participating in this program. Even one person can make a huge difference for a family in need. Please complete a sponsor form now. You may also make an online donation to the Adopt A Family Fund.

How does it work?

When you sponsor a family through the YWCA's Holiday Adopt A Family Program, you receive information about the family including first names, ages, sizes, and gift ideas. You then shop for  'your' family. By including a grocery store gift certificate with your gifts, you can help make a special holiday dinner for the family you have sponsored. Please note that the agency adheres to strict confidentiality guidelines, so we do not permit Adopt A Family donors to present gifts to their "adopted" family in person. You will receive, however, a personal thank you letter from the family whose holiday you helped brighten.

Who does it serve?

The families who sign up to receive holiday assistance are those living in our domestic violence shelters in York and Hanover. They have been forced to flee their homes to the safety of our shelter. These families are on the road to self-sufficiency and are receiving assistance with housing, counseling, and other services. They are working to imrpove their lives!

Your generosity provides affirmation to our residents that they are not along and that people in our community care about them and their children.

For more information, contact Katie Mahoney at 717.434.1760.

Giving Kudos to the West Coast

A friend of mine sent this to me a while back.  Students and staff at Richmond Street School, in Los Angelos, say this every day.  And while some argue that using the term "bully" allows those who don't fit the traditional image/mold of one to disown responsbility for their hurtful actions - writing it off as mere "teasing," there is no argument about the word "friend."  If we simply teach friendship, rather than anti-bullying, it might make a difference.

I pledge to be no bully, I pledge to be your friend.
I pledge to make _____________ School a better school to attend.
Be kind to one another and use kind words instead of threats,
be positive, be helpful and we can all be friends.