Aptos Adopt-A-Family: 20th Anniversary of Providing For Families In Hardship

Twenty Years Later, the First Family Adopted is Giving Back

Twenty years ago, a local businessman in Aptos was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. As the cancer progressed, he was unable to work or support his family as the holidays approached. Our community put on a huge Spaghetti feed and the money collected went to help his family. Patrice Edwards, of the Aptos Times, and a friend worked tirelessly to collect toys, food, clothes, rent money, and more to carry his family through the coming months.

We had the opportunity to talk to Judy McMillen of the first Aptos Adopt-A-Family. It was Judy’s husband, Doug McMillen, whose untimely illness in 1993 became the reason for the birth of Adopt-a-Family. They had four young children and a new business that they had to close leaving them with no income. Just weeks before the cancer took Doug in 1995, Adopt-A-Family stepped forward again with airplane tickets to Colorado so he could see his son one last time.

Judy started a day care/preschool, Children’s Cottage that is in operation today. Her four children all live in the area and they have blessed her with six grandchildren. “Now its my turn to give back,” said Judy, “I will be adopting a family this year, twenty years after we found our family in desperate need and Adopt-A-Family found us.”

Death, illness, a traffic accident, divorce, loss of job, anyone can become unable to manage without help. Members of our community, from children to seniors, from mothers to single dads, to entire families have been adopted and helped by Adopt-a-Family.

Over the years there have been hundreds of stories, and thousands of gifts. Gifts of wheelchairs, a handicap accessible van, lifts, food, clothes, toys bikes, rent, phone bills, physical therapy—gifts that helped a family to enjoy the holidays. One year Adopt-A-Family was able to donate a $4,000 wheelchair lift to a local family. Trees, turkeys, gift certificates—whole neighborhoods have adopted families! Girl Scouts have adopted families. Churches, parents, those who could only give one toy and those who could provide a sizable check…it has been amazing! We live in a very generous community.

Those of us who are blessed enough to in such a beautiful area often forget that there are many families, some of whom are our neighbors, that need help. The Thanksgiving, Chanukah, and Christmas holiday seasons are a time of celebration. But for some families there are no feasts or Chanukah gifts or presents under a Christmas tree. There is no joy for them in telling their children there will be no special turkey dinner or that Santa isn’t coming this year. In this time of economic distress and tight budgets, remember that there are those in our communities who may have no earnings at all or no place to call home.

There are people from all walks of life who undergo changes in circumstances that force them to depend on others to help keep their families from becoming fractured and feeling that there is no hope. That’s where Aptos Adopt-A-Family comes in and connects families with families. Look into your heart and find that by helping others, it makes you a better person and brings the true meaning of the season into your life.

Aptos Adopt-A-Family focuses primarily on families having financial challenges due to medical catastrophe within their family. Death or illness in a family is devastating and can emotionally and financially cripple. Our program can step in, find someone to adopt the family, and help out with needed medical equipment, home care, etc.

Sponsors provide their “adopted” family with gifts and sometimes decorations and a tree. Though the adopted family identity is anonymous, some of them choose to meet their sponsor. Some families even go holiday shopping together! Several of these families have stayed friends over the years. Adopt-A-Family helps by providing gift certificates to local stores along with the gifts that the sponsor family has provided.

Please give us a call to find out how you can adopt a family this year or how you can help make this a Merry Christmas for one of our families by donating to the program.

The Aptos Adopt-A-Family committee asks you to adopt a family or just one child, or send your donation in the form of gifts or a check. Everything sent will be given to a specific family you choose or distributed fairly to others.

If you know of someone in need, please don’t hesitate to call and let us know. All referrals are anonymous.

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You can help! Call Aptos Adopt-A-Family at 688-7549 to refer someone. To send a donation: Aptos Adopt-A-Family c/o Times Publishing Group – 9601 Soquel Drive – Aptos, CA 95003.