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Project Volunteer sponsors Adopt-A-Family

During Thanksgiving and Christmas, about 150 low-income Tucson families who can not afford turkey and gifts will receive assistance from the Adopt-A-Family project sponsored by the UA's Project Volunteer.

Zachary King, a coordinator for the project, said about 40 families have already been adopted and about 70 additional families are expected to receive aid.

University of Arizona clubs, organizations or any other groups interested are invited to fill out a form and sponsor a needy family for Thanksgiving, Christmas or both.

Responsibilities include giving a donation and providing food or presents for the family.

King said the project's goal is to have about 30 to 40 UA organizations sponsor families.

"I think everybody should get involved with the program," King said.

Families are recommended by several benefit organizations that are in partnership with Project Volunteer, including the Parent Aid Program Exchange Club of Tucson, La Frontera Center and the Blake Foundation.

The deadline to adopt a family for Thanksgiving is Nov. 2 because food and donations must be delivered to the organizations by Nov. 17. The deadline for Christmas is Nov. 25.

Emma Kammeyer, a representative of the Blake Foundation, said they have been a part of this project for the past 15 years.

The Blake Foundation picks about a dozen families for the project.

"We made about $2000 in donations and contributions per event," Kammeyer said.

Linda Northington, a representative for Parent Aid, said the families picked for the project are not homeless. They are low-income families who need help during the holiday while working out their financial problems, she said.

The families stay in the project for about a year, Northington said.

King said last year's Adopt-A-Family project was a success and that everything is going well this year.

"I got in because it is such a great program," King said.