How to Adopt a Family for Christmas

• 1). Contact a local social service agency in your area such as the United Way, Catholic Charities, The Salvation Army or other local organization specific to your area, to connect with a family in need that you can help. If you have trouble finding an agency, contact your county government who can refer you to agencies in your community or see the Resources section below. Volunteer Match and many other sites have numerous opportunities to help the community, including adopting a family.
  
  
• 2). Relay your budget to the organization's representative who can then help you decide the size family that you should provide for, based on the amount of money you have. If your budget is limited you may want to help a single mom and her one child. If you have more money to work with, you may want to brighten Christmas for a mom, dad and their multiple children.
  
  
• 3). Ask questions about the family you choose to make sure you get them what they want and what they can use. Ask their sex, sizes, ages, ethnicity (if you plan on buying dolls) and see if you can find out specific items they'd like to receive.
  
  
• 4). Obtain coupons and go shopping. Try to get as much as you can with the amount of money you have. Places like Wal-Mart and Target are great places to go since you can usually get things very inexpensively.
  
  
• 5). Arrange a convenient time to drop off the gifts and mingle with the family you are providing for. If you are uncomfortable, drop them off to the organization that you are working with and let them pass the gifts along.