For more than 10 years, KYL has participated in the Salvation Army’s holiday Adopt-a-Family program, which matches impoverished families with individual or group sponsors to provide for their tangible needs at Christmas. Without the benefit of an adoption, these families would be looking forward to a very grim holiday.
The firm has purchased at least three requested presents for all members of its adopted families, in addition to providing Christmas dinner. In the beginning, the firm adopted 3 or 4 families every year. In 2011, however, KYL sponsored seven families, a total of 35 people.
In addition to buying the presents on their wish lists, the firm also provides trees, decorations, snacks, towels, blankets, dishes, pots & pans and numerous gift cards to useful stores and family-oriented outings, including McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, Target, Food-4-Less and to local theaters.
Bonnie Bachenheimer, a legal secretary at KYL who has helped coordinate the effort for quite a few years, said she was, “beyond amazed by the continuous, unbelievable generosity of our employees.”
“Over the years, every gift that every child asked for has been provided,” she said, “including Guitar Hero and other video games, dozens of bicycles with helmets and locks, skateboards, iPods, televisions, Barbies, doll strollers, watches, baseballs and mitts, dress-up clothes, slumber bags, art kits, etc…”
Bachenheimer also noted that nearly every KYL employee–from all five offices–participates in the program, either by donating money, buying presents, wrapping and organizing gifts, and/or transporting the three to four van-loads of goods over to the collection center. Spouses, siblings and family members of KYL employees also assist with the effort.
For more information on the Salvation Army’s Adopt-A-Family program, visit their website here.