Every year the need is there. And every year, colleagues from Nebraska Medicine and UNMC come through for our patients and their families to brighten their holiday. The deadline is approaching to let Social Work know if your department/unit/clinic would like to take part in this year’s Adopt a Family program.
The process
To streamline the process, please follow these guidelines:
- Deliver gift cards to the Social Work office by Friday, Dec. 8 (so families can do own shopping).
- Deliver gifts to the Social Work office NO LATER than Monday, Dec. 18.
- Please no food deliveries this year. If you would like to assist with holiday meals, we ask that you provide a gift card to allow the family to shop for food for themselves at a store of their choice.
- Indicate if your department would be willing, or prefer to provide just gift cards to a location(s) of the family’s choice to allow them to shop for themselves. Many families/parents express the joy of shopping for Christmas for their families, where others need the assistance in the actual obtaining and wrapping of the items. Please indicate your preference if you have one.
- Indicate a contact person and number for your department if you have any questions.
- Contact Social Work Office at 402.559.4420 with questions.
“We are pleased to help coordinate this organization-wide effort, which has now become a tradition,” said Jennifer Sparrock, manager, Social Work. “We are consistently humbled by the generosity of our fellow colleagues.”
Social Work already has begun identifying those individuals and families in need of assistance this year. They range from individuals who are ill, alone and have financial challenges to families with several children. As was the process last year, your donation will come directly to Social Work (specifically to Social Work administrative assistant Cyndi Valeika (cvaleika@nebraskamed.com).
If you want to adopt a family, please fill out this form
and email it to Valeika or fax it to 402.559.4668 by Tuesday, Oct. 31. This will allow Social Work adequate time to match departments with a family. Please include in your notification the amount your department will be able to contribute. This helps to determine the size of family that can be helped. Social Work will then match your department with a family and provide a wish list, with ages and sizes. All efforts will be made to provide departments with their wish lists before Thanksgiving weekend.
All departments big and small can participate. Donations of all sizes will help our families in need. Donations can be combined with other departments to support a larger family if needed.
Because the contributions are given directly to families, they are not tax deductible. If someone in your department wishes to make a tax-deductible gift, checks can be made payable to Nebraska Medicine and Social Work will use them for patient and family needs. Online contributions to Patient Assistance are available as well.