For over 20 years, The Assistance Center and Plano Santas Holiday Program has been matching families in need with individual or group sponsors to provide for gifts for their children and one month’s worth of food at Christmas. These families meet low income guidelines or have been experiencing recent, unexpected financial stress due to various factors such as job loss, emergency car repairs or medical issues. Many of these families live paycheck to paycheck—while they work diligently to maintain a strict budget, any unexpected expense can send their financial situation into a tailspin.

As families are screened for the program, they compile wish lists for their children that include ‘Needs’ & ‘Wants’. When an Adopt-A-Family match is made, the family information and wish lists are sent to the adopter. Adopters are asked to purchase at least one gift from the ‘needs’ category and one gift from the ‘wants’ category. An adopter may purchase more should they choose to do so, or gifts for the parents, but neither is required by ACCC nor expected by the families. In addition, we provide one month’s worth of food for the family. The adopter does not need to purchase any food.

Sponsors come in many shapes and sizes. They can be individuals, families, churches, clubs/organizations, small businesses, or large corporations. Many sponsors find the experience so fulfilling that they participate in the program year after year. The Assistance Center would like to thank all of our partners and sponsors for your concern and generosity. Our families express their heartfelt gratitude to us every year and we pass that on to you.

Action Steps

• Contact us at holiday@assistancecenter.org or 972-422-1125 – let us know how many children you would like to adopt
• You may schedule a time to come into the office and view our book of families, OR we can send you wish lists via email and you choose a family you would like
• Purchase two gifts per child (1 need, 1 want)
• Deliver if you choose to (we can deliver if needed)

Additionally you can:

*Host a food drive (contact us to find out most pressing needs)
*Host a toy drive
*Volunteer at the Plano Santas Warehouse sorting food or delivering gifts to families: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/409094faaae2ba02-plano