The holidays are a special time for many families across the nation. However, there are many other families that are struggling to make ends meet and therefore unable to buy special foods and gifts for their family and friends. Students at Ross College in Sylvania, Ohio wanted to spend the weeks leading up to the holidays helping out their neighbors in need. They had a variety of avenues through which they could do that, but they decided that helping out at the family level was the best option.
So this winter, Ross College students decided to come together and adopt a local family. They teamed up with the organization Volunteers of America in order to adopt the family. According to their website, “Volunteers of America Michigan provides help for the homeless, food for the hungry, employment and shelter for veterans, housing for poor seniors, and a helping hand for struggling families.”
The family they chose to adopt was one that found themselves in need over the Christmas season. This local family consists of a single mom who is working hard to raise two boys. Both of this woman’s boys are on the Autism Spectrum with Pervasive Development Disorder. As soon as the Ross College students heard about this family, they knew that they wanted to help.
During their preparation, the students came together to purchase a variety of gifts as well as other important household items for this family. The Ross College students were thrilled to be able to provide the two boys with over 20 gifts each. They also were excited to have the opportunity to give some important items to their mother. Some of these items included pots, pans, dishes, glasses, bowls, a waffle maker, and some important staple food supplies to make a Christmas dinner for herself and her boys.