For the past 10 years, Adopt-A-Family has been a large part of the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) at Christmas time. Adopt-A-Family is a cause that supports families in need at Christmas that are struggling financially.

Many families spend a lot of time worrying about making ends meet each year, that even providing their children with toys or a Christmas dinner is impossible.

Lori Masterson, resource consultant at All Kids Belong, explained that she evaluates the position that each family she is working with is in and approaches one or two families she believes would best benefit from the program. A requirement is that the family has not already been sponsored by any other community programs.

In the first year of the program, Masterson was approached by John Said, manager of Publications and Communications at FSU, who asked if any family she was working with needed some extra kindness. A working single- mother with five children was chosen, and while shy and embarrassed at first, she accepted the help.

“She tried her very best to make sure her girls were well provided for. Her girls’ needs always came first…she knew that she really was not going to be able to give her girls Christmas that particular year,” Masterson said.

The mom of the girls provided Masterson with the “likes and wants” of the girls and their clothing sizes.

From there, the FSU Publications team set up advertising throughout the FSU and donation boxes in different locations at Fanshawe. Some of these locations include the FSU and Interrobang offices, Oasis and the Out Back Shack. Donations are encouraged as every little bit helps.

Once donations have been totalled, Said, Masterson and Darby Mousseau, creative director at FSU, go and shop for the family and wrap each individual gift.

“You ‘adopt the whole family’ and provide gifts, gift cards for gas stations or grocery stores, bus tickets as well as food to share with their loved ones,” Masterson said.

Families are also surprised with not only gifts for the children but also for the parents and their pets.

Masterson shared some comments that stuck out to her from parents of the families. For confidentiality reasons their names are not revealed.

“For the first time in my life I was able to have my parents over and I cooked the meal because I had been graciously given all the things needed to make a Christmas meal. I was proud of myself.”

“It was magical watching my children open gifts that they had asked for. I have never been able to buy the things they wanted before.”

“I have never seen my children so excited Christmas morning.”

“I haven’t had a gift under the tree since I was 10; this Christmas I had three and I cried opening every one.”

The purpose of Adopt-A-Family is so that families are able to experience what for them is a Christmas miracle.

“I think it’s an amazing program to donate to this holiday season. You are helping to make a family in the city of London’s Christmas magical,” Masterson said.