Our annual Adopt-a-Family Drive pairs generous donors, groups, and businesses with families who have a child with disabilities for the holiday season. If you are interested in either "adopting" a family for the holiday season or getting "adopted", please completely fill out the appropriate application below. We encourage you to be as detailed as possible to simplify the information gathering process for our Outreach team.
We would like to thank the dozens of donors for joining in on our Adopt-a-Family event! Our team was overwhelmed by the generosity of each donor. The Baltimore Orioles organization gathered to wrap gifts, and the Oriole bird arrived with a van full of presents for 14(!) families and spent time with the people with disabilities that we support and our incredible team.
Thank you to all those that have adopted a family this year. Due to the outpouring of generosity, we have currently paused accepting any new adopter and adoptee applications. Please stayed tuned for highlights and photos of this year's Adopt A Family program.
Happy Holidays!
WANT TO ADOPT A FAMILY?
If you or a group of donors want to "adopt" a family of an adult or child with developmental disabilities connected to The Arc for the holidays, complete the adopter application below.
IMPORTANT ADOPTER NOTES
- You must drop off wrapped and name-tagged gifts by Friday, 12/15/23 to our main office (7215 York Rd., 21212) OR directly to the family (in coordination with The Arc).
- To adopt a family, please register by Friday, 12/1/23.
- The Arc will provide the family's wishlist with the names, clothing sizes, and specific gift items.
- Here are a few gift suggestions: socks, slippers, gloves, scarves, nail polish, bath & body items, art supplies for all ages, sketch pads, journals, lockable diaries, kids' toys, and books.
If you can't adopt a family, please contribute to The Arc Baltimore's Family Fund at www.thearcbaltimore.org/donate (select gift designation as Family Fund) which is used to purchase grocery gift cards for all adopted families for Thanksgiving and the December holidays.
Questions: Mary Stemler, mstemler@thearcbaltimore.org, 410-296-2272, x 5305.
Adopter Application
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WANT TO BE ADOPTED?
Please complete the adoptee application below - for everyone in your household both adults and children. Please fill in all fields for all family members so that the donors have plenty of gift ideas.
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IMPORTANT ADOPTEE REQUIREMENTS
- A family member living in your home must have an intellectual or developmental disability (autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, Down syndrome, etc.) and you must present proof of disability.
- Your home must be in Baltimore County or Baltimore City and only permanent household members can get "adopted."
- The member cannot be in the autism waiver or DDA services with another DDA provider.
- We will provide a blank thank you card and a return envelope that must be returned to The Arc by January 20, 2024. This will be presented to the adopter.
- If you'd like to share a photo of your family and a testimonial with The Arc, we would love to share it with our donors so they can witness the holiday magic. (Note: we do not use last names)
- Applying to be a recipient family for The Arc’s Adopt a Family program does not guarantee your selection for the program, and those ultimately selected are up to the discretion of The Arc due to the volume of applications, availability of donors, adherence to adoptee requirements, and past program participation.
Adoptee Application
Thank you to all those who adopted families or contributed financially to the Adopt-a-Family program this year. Together we reached 64 families with individualized gifts for every member in each family. Many also received food packages and grocery cards we purchased with the use of our Family Fund, and over Thanksgiving and the December holidays, we gave food and grocery gift cards to an additional 50+ households through our day and employment programs. All the families and individuals we reached were thrilled by the thought and care expressed by our gift buyers and contributors. Truly, the holidays were more meaningful for those who received as well as those who gave.
Alban Family | Marine Solutions |
Assistance Center of Towson Churches | McCullough Family |
Atlantic Financial Credit Union | Miles Family |
Brown Family and Friends | Morgan-Cooper Family |
Carter Machinery | MZQ Consulting |
Cintas | PK Law |
Community Development with the Baltimore Orioles and Oriole players | Rosenberger Family |
CreditXpert Inc. | RSM |
Danielle Ford | Sanford Family |
Deja Malone | Schmitz Press |
Drebing Family | Sinai Hospital |
Ernst & Young | Tabor Family |
Flavor & Fragrance | Target-Nottingham Store |
Fleckinger Family | Target - Putty Hill Store |
Goetschius Family | T. Rowe Price Global Trading and FI Investments |
IMC Outdoor Living | The Arc Baltimore - 2nd Floor South Team |
JHU-Dept. of Earth & Planetary Sciences | The Episcopal Church of St. Michael and All Angels |
Kate Hull and Noelle Chambers | Vilma Cruz |
Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority | Wagner Family |
MacPherson Family |
ADOPTEE APPLICATION IS CLOSED
Due to an overwhelming response, we've met our capacity for adoptees.
BOTH APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED
Due to an overwhelming response, we've met our capacity for both adopters and adoptees. Thank you all for your generosity!