The North Central States Chapter recognizes there are several families who are living with MS in communities across the chapter who could use some additional supports during the holiday season. The chapter intends to solicit donations of items related to health, safety, and stability for these families who are in need and provide these items directly to the families during this season.
The “Adopt A Family” Program will allow the chapter to match up the families who are in need, with individuals who want to make a difference in the life of someone who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The chapter will take donated items for this Adopt A Family Program year round and will disperse the items to families during the holiday season in November and December.
In order to be eligible for the program, the person(s) must have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, be a member of the chapter and write a narrative description of their situation and submit that to the Director of Programs and Services in the Sioux Falls Office by November 1st. There is no guarantee of being a recipient of donated items, but the local program staff will make every effort to see if the needs of the family can be met through this program. Donations can be made to the chapter discretely if the donor chooses to remain anonymous and the donated items will be given out to families on a first come first serve basis. If the donor chooses to disclose their identify and the family agrees to release their contact information to the donor, a direct match can be made between the two parties by the chapter and then the chapter would not be involved in the exchange of items.
If donors want to make donations to the chapter for this program, the following is a list of new/unused items that could be used:
- Gas Cards for transportation
- Grocery Store Coupons/Gift Cards
- Towels (bath, hand and washcloths)
- Bedding and Blankets (all sizes)
- Toiletries and General Hygiene Products
- New toys for children (all ages)
- Paper products (toilet paper, Kleenex, paper towels, etc…)
Any questions should be directed to the Director of Programs and Services in the Sioux Falls Office at (605) 336-7017 or 1-800-344-4867.