Citrus Heights nonprofit hosting holiday ‘Adopt-a-Family’ program

By Sara Beth Williams–
A local nonprofit with a mission to empower single moms and their families is planning to donate meals and gifts to up to 60 families this December.

The Single Mom Strong Holiday Adopt-a-Family event is in its sixth year and began as one of the first events that the organization launched. Founder Tara Taylor said in an interview with The Sentinel that 55 families are currently registered to receive gifts and a meal, but extra donations typically come in throughout November, allowing them to add more families.

Single mothers had the opportunity to register in early November and filled out a questionnaire, along with lists of things the family needs and wants, Taylor said. During the week of Thanksgiving, families were assigned to donors, who now have two weeks to buy gifts and provide either a pre-made meal or grocery gift cards to their assigned family.

Taylor said donors include anyone from individual volunteers who are single moms or children of single moms, to companies who want to give back to the community,

“We like to give them hope and love for the holidays,” Taylor said, adding that the selection of families goes through a “very thoughtful process.”

Taylor said in mid-December, more volunteers and organizations come together to help wrap everything for the families and then gifts and meals will be delivered beginning on Dec. 18.

“Mom can decide who she wants to label the gifts from,” Taylor said, adding that sometimes they do secret deliveries, and sometimes she will meet the family as she delivers.

Single Mom Strong was founded in 2015 and offers year-round support as well as activities for single moms and their families, including a “friendsgiving” event the week before Thanksgiving, and free photos with Santa in December.

The organization says donations received through the end of November at singlemomstrong.org will go specifically to the holiday adopt-a-family program.