Bloomington charity down on donors; asking for help during holiday season

The deadline for donors to sign up is December 6. (Photo courtesy: Children’s Home and Aid/Facebook)

By Heart of Illinois ABC

BLOOMINGTON – Children’s Home and Aid has been making sure families have gifts to open during the holidays for 30 years. Now they’re dozens short.

The program is called Adopt a Family. Some families that get Children’s Home and Aid services during the year are selected to receive gifts from donors. Lauren Cordero, development associate with Children’s Home and Aid, said this year there are 158 families and about 60 fewer donors.

“Most every family we serve, this is their Christmas,” Cordero told our news partner Heart of Illinois ABC. “The items we’re providing are basic needs – everything from their shoes and socks and underwear to a couple of wish-list items for each member of the family.”

Donors are matched with families and then shop from a list they’re given. Cordero says each person within a family costs between $200-250 to shop for. There are between three and six people per family.

The deadline for donors to sign up is December 6, since all gifts need to be at their facility by December 11.

If you’d like to adopt a family, call 309-846-1037.

Heart of Illinois ABC can be reached at [email protected]

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