Tech Report Readers, Please Adopt A Family This Holiday Season

SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) -- We're down to the wire -- you're almost out of time to Adopt A Family this Christmas season through Volunteers of America Michigan. 

But you can still make a difference in the lives of our neighbors in need.

Adopt A Family has been serving families in need across Michigan since 1993. In the program's history, more than 160,00 children and parents have experienced the joy of Christmas through this special program. In 2012, more than 4,000 families were served .

And right now, this minute, about 8,000 families are waiting for adoptions.

Adopt A Family provides you with several options to help a family in need. You can choose "direct sponsorship," in which you receive a family or senior's profile and wish list. Using this information, you do the shopping and deliver the items to your adopted family. Families range in size from small families with a single parent, a grandparent with one child, to families with multiple children.

Or, you can make a cash or credit card donation and allowing the buying power and partnerships of Volunteers of America Michigan to stretch your dollar. Each donation is combined with other gifts and benefits additonal families for the Christmas holiday.

Families up for adoption are across the state, including Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Ingham, Saginaw, Livingston, Washtenaw, Kent, Monroe, Berrien, Kalamazoo and Genesee counties -- and more. No matter where you live, there is a family who needs your help to have a good Christmas. We also have seniors and veterans who are waiting for sponsorship, too.

Families seeking help are screened for income, and all participating children must be 15 or younger.

Also, all donations are tax deductible.

Here are some suggested donations and what they buy:

* $20 buys a toy for a child
* $30 provides warm winter clothing for a child
* $50 provides a Christmas dinner for a family
* $85 provides a great Christmas for a senior or a veteran
* $150 provides an entire holiday experience for a family of four

So please, consider Adopt A Family as part of your holiday observance. For more information, email me at mnroush@cbs.com or visit www.adoptafamilymichigan.org.