Epiphany’s Adopt-A-Family Ministry takes referrals from social service agencies and schools to identify families in need of assistance for Christmas. These families are then “adopted” by Epiphany friends and families to provide Christmas gifts and dinner. This is a great opportunity for individuals, families and small groups to give to families in need in our community.
 

Each year at Christmas, Epiphany comes together to provide gifts and holiday meals for those in need.  Working with social service agencies who also work with our Pantry, we identify families who can use an extra blessing for the holidays. 

Each family fills out a gift form highlighting desired gifts and Epiphany families and small groups adopt these families, shop, wrap and deliver the gifts to the Celebration Center at Far Hills. 

The gifts are picked up by agency social workers and delivered to the families along with a frozen turkey and non-perishable holiday staples.

We adopt an average of 100 families as a congregation, with close to 300 children and 100 adults blessed with your generosity.
 
 
 
Learn more about how you can participate:
 
 

The Adoption Process

We offer both online and in person adoptions where you provide us preferences such as size, ages and genders of the family you’d like to adopt.  Then we match that to a family who can benefit from your generous support.  We provide you with the family’s wish lists and instructions for the drop off process. 
***As of November 29, all 93 households have been adopted! Thank you for your generosity!***
 

Monetary Donations

If you want to help with gifts, but are not able to shop, please consider a cash donation designated to Adopt a Family.  We also accept cash donations for the food bags and turkeys either online or by designating Adopt a Family in your offering or check mailed to the church. 
 
 

Volunteer Opportunities

This ministry relies on the generous donation of time and energy from many volunteer members of our congregation and community.  Help is needed to pick up and unload our bulk order of groceries, set up the celebration center, sort and bag groceries for the families, assist donors during drop off times as required to unload gifts and ensure gifts are placed in the correct location in the Celebration Center.  Our biggest need for volunteers is during our pickup morning to load food and gifts in the vehicles for the social workers.
 
 
If you lead a group looking for a service project, we’d love to work with you!  Please contact us at Adopt-a-Family.
 

 

About the Agencies We Serve

Here’s a little information about some of the agencies we help:

Children’s Services – part of Children and Family Services, the social workers here provide job and parenting coaching to a range of families who may be struggling with addiction, unemployment, homelessness and food insecurity.

Dayton Children’s – this new outreach program identifies families who benefit from additional services to help manage the stresses of children with acute or long-term illness or injury.

Miami Valley Child Development Center – this Head Start program aims to provide support for families with young children to ensure a healthy foundation for learning.

Help Me Grow Brighter Futures – this program also works with families with young children providing critical parenting skills and assistance especially for families dealing with poverty and the associated challenges.
 
 
Questions about the program can be sent to Adopt-a-Family.
 
 

Save the Dates

Save the Dates for the following Adopt a Family volunteer opportunities.  A detailed sign up for 2023 is coming soon (early November) and will be available online as well on paper signups between services.

Bulk Grocery Pick Up –need a few volunteers with big vans/trucks to help with picking up our bulk grocery order from Meijer and delivering to Epiphany on Saturday Dec 9

Setup – takes place on Sunday Dec 10 and includes setting up tables in the Celebration center and sorting and bagging groceries.

Donation Drop Offs – occurs Mon Dec 11 – Wed Dec 13 and help is offered during evening hours to assist donators as required.  This may include unloading gifts from donor vehicles and/or ensuring gifts are placed in the correct location in the Celebration Center. 

Agency pick-ups – takes place on Thurs morning Dec 14.  This is our biggest need for hands-on volunteers to load food and gifts in the vehicles for the social workers.