Each holiday season, our Jeans Day program would partner with an organization called Christmas Wishes. This program organized donations from anonymous givers to provide gifts, food, and supplies to under-privileged families that would have otherwise been in need during one of the most joyous times of the year. Sadly, while this was a very popular program, they discontinued their work a few years ago. We wanted to continue to help our community during the holidays and searched for similar organizations where we could give back in such a special way.
In 2016, we found a suitable and reputable organization that helped us to again “adopt a family” for the holidays. We partnered with Child & Family Services, Inc. of New Bedford in support of their Holiday Hope Project. Child & Family Services Inc. is a 501c3 organization serving the Greater New Bedford area, Fall River, Freetown, Fairhaven and Dartmouth with their main office being located in New Bedford.
Beginning this month, the Holiday Hope Project will begin to match sponsors, like FBinsure, with a Child & Family Services client. These clients are families that may be burdened with financial worries, illnesses, mental and physical disabilities, limited education and resources, and personal tragedies which have left them unable to provide for themselves or their families. Soon, we will receive a sponsor sheet about our “adopted” family. The sheet will include a short bio of the family, the number of family members (parents and children), ages, sizes, and a holiday “wish list” for each family member.
This is a little different from our normal Jeans Day fundraisers where we would normally raise money for a particular organization that is highlighted each month. For the October Jeans Day with the Holiday Hope Project, we will use the money collected to buy gifts for our “adopted family.” We will do our best to fill everyone’s wish list as well as provide the family with gift certificates to a local grocery store. In addition, we supply a small monetary donation to cover the family’s transportation expenses to and from the drop off location. The gifts will be wrapped and delivered to the designated drop-off location in early December. Last year, through our FBinsure family banding together, we raised enough money to fulfill the wishes of our “adopted family.” It is our goal to once again meet, or exceed, the wish list for our new “adopted family.”
