Adopt-A-Family Recipients Give Back
Many families have beloved Christmas traditions. For Megan Kaiser’s family, it’s participating in St. Vincent de Paul’s Adopt-A-Family Christmas program. This is the fifth year that Megan will take her two children shopping for another family.
The program allows individuals, families and businesses to “adopt” families in need. Working-poor parents often find that Christmas is an especially stressful time because they are not able to provide for their children. The program relieves that stress by pairing them up with a donor family who hopes to share the holiday spirit by providing gifts and fixings for a Christmas meal. Last year, more than 500 families were adopted through the program.
“The biggest impact it has had is on my kids,” Megan said. “They’re 4 and 6 years old now and they look forward to picking out gifts with me. Each year they understand more and more what its for and how much they are helping others who are struggling.”
Megan knows this well because she was one of those people just seven years ago. In 2008, Megan and her husband Shane struggled with alcohol addiction and finally committed themselves into a transitional living facility to start a new chapter of their lives.
“The first month was the hardest,” she said. “We weren’t used to asking for help and we didn’t know about any resources that are available.”
Megan worked at a job that was two hours away by bus. Before learning about SVdP’s Mesa Dining Room, they survived off of tortillas and peanut butter.
“It felt so nice to have a hot meal,” Megan said. “At first we weren’t sure if we would be judged for asking for help, but everyone was so nice and made us feel welcome. They helped me see that it was just human beings helping other human beings. Everyone needs help sometimes.”
While the dining room was tremendously helpful, kicking their addiction was the most difficult challenge Megan and Shane had ever faced. They constantly talked about giving up. That is until Megan found out that she was pregnant with her first son.
“It was at that moment that I realized, ‘time to grow up and be responsible,’” Megan said.
It was just the motivation that they needed to move on with their lives. Within two months, they moved out of the halfway house and into an apartment of their own. They saved every penny they could and requested food boxes from SVdP when money was tight. Megan went back to school to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Today, Megan and Shane are healthy and financially stable. They want to instill a sense of gratitude and generosity in their children.
“It’s rewarding to be able to give back,” Megan said. “It feels good to be in a position to do that.”
