Are you looking to adopt a family or donate this holiday season? Here are five ways you can

Angelaydet Rocha, The Stockton Record
·5 min read

While Christmas day is more than just presents under the Christmas tree, a little holiday cheer and unexpected gifts could brighten anyone's day.

If you are looking to help out a family during the holidays or bring a smile and some joy to a senior citizen or a kid this December, here are five ways to do so.

Adopt a Family for the Holidays at PREVAIL

The annual Adopt a Family campaign is back at Prevail (formerly known as the Women’s Center Youth & Family Services) this holiday season.

"We often work with families and individuals at their lowest point and bringing some joy and happiness is just a way we can support them at this time," Elizabeth Sanchez, director of Community Engagement at PREVAIL wrote in an email.

PREVAIL is accepting donations in the form of gift cards through Tuesday, Dec. 12.

PREVAIL suggests considering a "$100 donation per individual."

"Since COVID, we had asked for gift cards as a way to keep it easier both on participants and donors," Sanchez stated. "We are maintaining this format (as) it allows participants to really use the donation towards what they need the most (food, clothes, toys, etc.)."

Gift cards should be dropped off or mailed in no later than Friday, Dec. 15 so families can receive them the week of Dec. 18, Sanchez wrote.

"This a very special event and a great opportunity to bring hope and joy to those impacted by family violence," Sanchez wrote.

To register for Adopt a Family at PREVAIL visit wcyfs.surveymonkey.com to be matched with a family or individual.

Be a Santa to a Senior with Home Instead

The Home Instead team has already started collecting gifts for "Be a Santa to a Senior." Left to right: Sandeep Bhatia, owner of Home Instead, Kathleen Hulsey, home care consultant, Sarah Joaquin, scheduling coordinator and Kimberly Stoffel, office administrator.
The Home Instead team has already started collecting gifts for "Be a Santa to a Senior." Left to right: Sandeep Bhatia, owner of Home Instead, Kathleen Hulsey, home care consultant, Sarah Joaquin, scheduling coordinator and Kimberly Stoffel, office administrator.

Home Instead, a home health care service for senior adults in Stockton is celebrating the holidays with a "Be a Santa to a Senior," gift drive.

Head over to The Home Depot at 250 Commerce Ave. in Manteca or the Save Mart at 1172 N. Main St. in Manteca to find their two Home Instead Christmas trees in partnership with each store with gift wish ornaments.

"We have ornaments placed on the tree with gift requests for our VA clients and residents at local rehabs. The community picks the ornaments, shops for the gift, and drops back off at the store," Kathleen Hulsey, a home care consultant for Home Instead wrote in an email. "We are delivering the gifts the week before Christmas."

Gifts price ranges from $25-$75, Hulsey wrote.

Kathleen Hulsey, home care consultant at Home Instead collected donated gifts dropped off at The Home Depot in Manteca.
Kathleen Hulsey, home care consultant at Home Instead collected donated gifts dropped off at The Home Depot in Manteca.

The ornaments will not include the name of the person receiving the gift but it will include their age, gender, and gift wish, she wrote.

Approximately more than 100 seniors will receive a gift. The trees have been refilled with ornaments three times, Hulsey shared.

"Last year we had over 125-plus gifts to be delivered and hoping to have more for the Seniors this year. This is the 2nd year Save Mart and Home Depot have partnered with us for our BASTAS," Hulsey wrote. "All employees at both stores and the Community have greatly donated for this BASTAS this year."

  • Location: The Home Depot at 250 Commerce Ave. in Manteca and Save Mart at 1172 N. Main St. in Manteca

  • Information: homeinstead.com

Adopt a Family at the Child Abuse Prevention Council of San Joaquin County

The Child Abuse Prevention Council of San Joaquin County is having the Adopt-a-Family program for the holidays. Anyone interested in participating can email Deja Wright at dwright@nochildabuse.org or call (209) 851-3469 for more information.

There are three ways you can participate.

  • Adopt a child for the holidays and give Christmas gifts

  • Donate grocery store gift cards ranging from $25-$50

  • Make a financial donation to the Child Abuse Prevention Council of San Joaquin County

  • Location: Child Abuse Prevention Council of San Joaquin County, 127 N. Sutter St. in Stockton

  • Information: nochildabuse.org/

Donate or adopt a family at St. Mary's Community Services

Hellen Montes, 13, left, and Jaylin Taylor, 12, check out each others gifts they received at the CMC's annual Christmas party at the Stockton Shelter for the Homeless' family shelter on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022. More than 100 presents were given out to children at the shelter as well as the Gospel Center Rescue Mission. "This is the one time of the year that the kids don't feel homeless" said shelter case worker Tiffany Monroy. "Everything is a blessing."

Anyone interested in donating to the former Stockton Shelter for the Homeless now under St. Mary's Community Services this holiday season can call for a family or children's wish list or drop off necessities.

Some donations they are accepting and in need of are food donations for their kitchen, blankets, diapers and children's cold medicine, said Jessica McKercher, a case manager for families at St. Mary's Community Services.

To donate give them a call and drop off gifts or any other items at the corresponding lodge (family lodge, women's lodge, or men's lodge) McKercher said.

"Blankets that's a huge need right now," McKercher said. "Whatever anyone can donate would be awesome."

Anyone interested in adopting a family and receiving a wish list with more details can contact Karen Gonzales, Volunteer Coordinator at St. Mary’s Community Services at (209) 467-0703.

"The last day someone would be able to participate would be December 22nd," Gonzales wrote in an email. "We want to make sure that all that is donated is received and sorted so that no child is left out."

Coat and Sock Drive at Lincoln Center

Participate in the Coat and Sock Drive at Lincoln Center by dropping off your donations of new socks or gently used coats. Find one of the Lincoln Center locations and drop off your donations anytime from now through Dec. 31.

This Coat and Sock Drive will benefit the Gospel Center Rescue Mission, the Lincoln Center website states.

Lincoln Center locations include:

  • Artesian Natural Foods

  • Best Wishes

  • Flair Boutique

  • F&M Bank

  • Parkwoods Cleaners

  • Theadora Boutique

  • The UPS Store

  • Shine Cycle + Yoga + Barre

  • Village Barber Shop

  • Wesson Hearing Aid Center

  • Location: Lincoln Center various locations, 374 Lincoln Center in Stockton

  • Information: lincolncentershops.com

Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. To support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton holiday adopt a family, donate