When Cindy Wasserman, head of Students Against Destructive Decisions at Owings Mills High School, began the Adopt-A-Family program, they were able to provide food, clothing and presents for the holidays for eight families affected by HIV. Now that the program has completed its 15th year, they have increased the number of families to 50.
"Every year, I'm hesitant," Wasserman said. "I wonder if anyone is going to come through, because getting 50 families adopted is a lot."
Each year, SADD brings in HIV-positive speakers to host a presentation on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. Wasserman said Adopt-A-Family developed as an extension of the awareness program.
"We recognize World AIDS Day and bring in speakers who are HIV-positive to remind students to prevent the disease and give them a sense of empathy for those who are suffering," Wasserman said. "I wanted some way for us to reach out and help. Because Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day, it rolled right into the holidays. That's how the whole thing started."
Every year, during the Adopt-A-Family drive, students, teachers, clubs and community members each sponsor families in need that are affected by HIV. The list of families is provided to the school by LIGHT Health and Wellness Comprehensive Services, a non-profit organization based out of Baltimore City that provides services to economically disadvantaged children and families impacted by HIV/AIDS and the Baltimore County Department of Health. In addition to the families, the organizations provide wish lists of items the families would like to receive for the holidays. Each sponsoring group purchases items from the wish list while communally collecting food and gently used items of clothing.
The items are then boxed and wrapped and taken to the Dept. of Health and LIGHT Health and Wellness offices where they will be picked up by the families. Wasserman said each family usually receives between four and five boxes of food, clothing and presents.
"We do a food drive up at Food Lion. Every home room in school collects food. It's almost a solidarity thing with the whole school," Wasserman said. "Virtually everybody is involved in some form or another."
Delita Galanos, program coordinator at LIGHT Health and Wellness, said they send speakers to Owings Mills High School every year.
Galanos said each family usually consists of about five members, and each member includes about three items on their wish list. She said the most popular items were Lego sets, shoes and board games.
"Most of the families write personal letters and cards thanking the families adopting them," Galanos said. "They are incredibly gracious."
Evelyn White of the Department of Health said one year a girl who received an art set through the program painted pictures for her adoptive family as a thank you for the gift.
On Dec. 13, Wasserman said approximately 150 students and community members involved in the program joined together in the Owings Mills High School cafeteria for a wrapping night. At the event, each of the presents were wrapped in wrapping paper and every box filled with food, clothing and presents were wrapped with a studier paper. On Dec. 18, students loaded the boxes onto trucks donated by Easy Movers of Glyndon.
Joyce Geipe, president of Easy Movers, said she thinks seeing young people working together and participating in the community is really exciting.
"We want to do what we can as a business," Geipe said. "You can't always do monetary donations, so we donate our effort and our time."
Race Pace bicycles has also donated seven bicycles to the program. Race Pace employee Sean Fitchett said he went to high school with Wasserman's son. When he heard about the program, they worked together to find a way to support it.
"It's good for the kids. It's good that the bikes aren't going to end up in a landfill somewhere," Fitchett said. "All around, it's a good program."
The donated items are all sorted to best suit the families needs.
"The families really get excited," Galanos said. "We have kids who have never gotten a bike before."
