Albany County Executive Dan McCoy is touting the success of the Adopt-A-Family holiday gift drive while also asking more people to chip in.
McCoy says the program, which is being run by the county Department for Children, Youth, and Families, has been a success.
“There's over 20 organizations who are donating unwrapped gifts, 90 homemade blankets, 25 Build-A-Bears, and a variety of other toys people are donating. So please, I say this to you. What you see in front of us is just a small snap snapshot of what we have that we have going out to everybody,” McCoy said.
McCoy says 345 people have adopted families so far, reaching more than 900 kids.
“Tomorrow’s not guaranteed. But to really sit there and you have an opportunity to make someone smile. And you might not see that smile. But knowing that difference that you've done to that family goes a long way. Pass it along, pass it along, but I do want to say please, December 18 will be the deadline,” McCoy said.
DCYF Commissioner Moira Manning says the program is going to help the families the department serves, noting the need is great.
“And this is something that will help alleviate the stress and the challenges that families oftentimes face. And it's really making one day special for the children and the family. And it really does. You know, people are so generous and in donating not only clothes, but household items, things that they need,” Manning said.
Manning says her department wants everyone taken care of.
“Reports come in. And if we see a family in need, we want to meet that need. And therefore, we're using the unwrapped toys that are donated,” Manning said.
Manning says a “Christmas shop” of sorts is set up on the third floor of county office building in downtown Albany.
“As families continue to come in and say, ‘I don't have anything for under the tree for my children,’ we’ll be able to identify some toys and other household items for the families,” Manning said.
Manning says her department “shops” on behalf of families working with the department, who then give wish lists.
Following the COVID pandemic, Manning says children are dealing with an epidemic of loneliness.
“We're seeing a challenge of children not wanting to go to school. That, you know, again, it's that isolation that they had and children you know, again, sometimes it'd be tough with one another. So there's, you know, the sense of bullying and everything at this point in time,” Manning said.
Manning says because of that, the department’s outpatient mental health clinic is seeing increased need.
With that in mind, Manning says the holiday gift program will bring cheer.
“Everybody loves to get something under the tree. And, you know, just to kind of regroup and take a breath and, you know, think of the good things,” Manning said.
More information on Adopt-A-Family can be foundhere.
