Christmas Blessings campaign is the new Adopt-A-Family

If you’ve been blessed in an otherwise difficult 2020, consider sharing your blessings with others who are struggling as this year comes to a close.

Douglass Community Services in Hannibal has a program called the Christmas Blessings Program where you can help out a specific family with specific needs. This is an alternative to toy drives and instead is targeted to meet everyday needs.

The Douglass Board of Directors talked with donors and community members about the best way the organization can help. They came up with the Christmas Blessings Program to provide practical gifts that can make a significant difference in the lives of recipients. The requests in the catalog of needs were made by caseworkers and social service personnel on behalf of their clients.

You can go to the Douglass Community Services Facebook page to see the catalog of needs for enrolled families. If you can only afford to give a pair of shoes, then that item is checked off the list. You can also decide to fulfill the entire list of needs for individual families or participants. The catalog shows you the cost of the items, so you have an idea of what your money can furnish for a family in need.

Looking at the list, you’ll see some needs are small—we’re talking socks and underwear, sheets and towels. Other needs are bigger, but just as vital, like a refrigerator.  There is a special-needs child who is undergoing surgery, and an autistic child who needs a device to help him communicate. One family needs to hire an exterminator for a bed bug infestation. Others need help paying past-due utility bills so they’ll have heat this winter.

If you can contribute to fill the needs of less fortunate, visit the Douglass website and share your Christmas Blessings.