Adopt A Family This Holiday Season With The Retreat

With the holiday season upon us, there are many opportunities to give and receive. At East Hampton’s The Retreat, one also has the opportunity to “adopt”. With the Adopt-A-Family program, donors can select a family, or multiple families, to support during the holidays by providing clothing, toys, gas and grocery gift cards, and more.

“The Retreat works daily to transform victims of abuse into survivors by providing the full complement of services to women, men and children,” explained Kimberly Nichols, Director of Development. “But this time of year, we especially need the help of our community. So many of our families are starting over and have very few resources. With your help, we can provide these families with a special holiday.”

After selecting a family, donors will receive detailed information about the family members such as clothing sizes, a wish list, and specific needs. Although there is no spending cap, The Retreat recommends spending no more than $50 per family member, and asks that all donated gifts remain unwrapped as many of the adopted families wrap the gifts themselves. If one wants to donate food, gift cards for King Kullen and Stop & Shop are preferred so that the families may select their food.

Donations of gift wrap, bags, ribbon, tags, and tape are also welcome with the delivery of the gifts. Family donations must be received by Friday, December 8 and can be dropped off at either the East Hampton or Hauppague offices. To schedule a drop-off, donors should call 631-329-4398.

These families represent all walks of life, and include a single father with two kids, an adult woman, a mother and her child, and a number of families living in homeless shelters. The general descriptions of each family can be viewed online.

If one does not have the financial ability to adopt an entire family, there are many other ways in which one can donate. The Retreat always accepts gift cards, clothing, and monetary donations, which will be given to other families and clients of The Retreat that are not part of the Adopt-A-Family program.

“The generosity of our community is heartwarming, especially at the holiday time. Please donate and help our Retreat families enjoy this special time of the year,” shared Loretta Davis, Executive Director of The Retreat. “In the true spirit of the season, we ask you to please join us in brightening the holidays for our courageous families by participating in our Thanksgiving Food Card Drive or Adopt A Family programs.”

The Retreat, Inc. is a not-for-profit established in 1987 that provides domestic violence and sexual assault services to women, children, and families in Suffolk and Nassau counties. The Retreat reached over 6,600 individuals through its comprehensive services and its annual Thanksgiving Drive allowed nearly 100 families to experience the merriment of a Thanksgiving meal with loved ones.

For more information about the services provided and ways in which one can donate, please visit www.theretreatinc.org.