DU’s Bridge Project is hosting an Adopt-a-Family program to connect families in Denver’s public housing with resources they need this holiday season.
Each year, the Adopt-a-Family program benefits one of the Bridge Project’s four public housing sites. This year, families in the South Lincoln community whose children are involved with the Bridge Project can fill out a wish list of holiday items, including toys, gifts and food.
Community members who want to adopt a family can pick up a wish list from the South Lincoln project site. They are then asked to purchase the items on the wish list and a holiday meal — such as a turkey or ham — and return the items to the site so the Bridge Project can deliver them to the families. If community members prefer to meet the family they adopt, Bridge Project staff can coordinate a meeting.
“In a time when situations are tight, it’s special for families to know that something really nice is coming,” says Molly Calhoun, executive director of the Bridge Project. “In years when the economy is up we tend to have a lot more support, but there’s still a great base of people who do it every year and have made it part of their holiday tradition. It is a really nice thing to be able to do.”
The Bridge Project — an outreach initiative of DU’s Graduate School of Social Work —provides educational opportunities for children in Denver’s public housing communities. Since project sites are located in the heart of public housing, the organization can keep a pulse on families’ needs throughout the year.
So far, 26 families have been adopted this season and the Bridge Project hopes to find sponsors for 20 additional families who are in need of help. The Adopt-a-Family program runs through December. To learn more, contact program coordinator Jeannette Alvarez at 303-446-0139.