NMS Adopts Several Families In Need

By Larissa Lytwyn

Newtown Social Services’ Adopt-A-Family program, in which residents play Santa for neighbors in need, has long enjoyed success through the Newtown public school system.

This was particularly true at Newtown Middle School this year, where the entire student, faculty, and administrative community pitched in to adopt several families.

“Up until about eight years ago, the nursing and administrative staff had been giving each other gifts,” said nurse Barbara Reilly. “Then we thought that the money we’d spent could be put to better use! We really wanted to help children who were similar in age to our middle schoolers.”

Ms Reilly contacted Danbury Social Services and received a wish list for families in need.

“It was a very successful effort!” she said.

With the more recent development of the Newtown Fund, Ms Reilly and nurse Joyce LaForte have spent the past few years helping to coordinate the administrative and clerical staff’s contributions to Adopt-A-Family.

“We call [the Adopt-A-Family program] Holiday Hearts,” said Ms Reilly. “The number of families we adopt each year really depends on how great the need is, and how large the families are.”

“It’s a great way for us to give back to the community,” added Ms LaForte.

“The middle school is just an amazing group of people!” Ms Reilly declared.

Among students, the Student Council rallied the entire student body to contribute to the cause.

“We got a bit of a head start this year, using some of the leftover goods we’d collected from our Thanksgiving drive,” said Student Council advisor Lynda Dale Mulholland.

In addition to collecting toys, clothing accessories, and other items for the Adopt-A-Family effort, Student Council also conducted a monthlong loose change drive.

“The members used the change they’d collected to purchase gift certificates for produce at Stop & Shop and Big Y,” said Ms Mulholland.

In addition, the seventh grade orange cluster divided into groups of peers or family members to provide for a family in need.

“All we were told was the peoples’ ages, and whether they were male or female, or whether they had pets,” explained seventh grader Mike Tobin. “They could be individuals or part of a family.”

One orange cluster teacher, Oona Mulligan, said the project allowed students to understand the complex dynamics of needy families more thoroughly.

“Some students wonder why some of these local kids in need want really expensive items, like a wide-screen TV or a game consul or an X-box,” she said. “But really, it’s about fitting in.”

Mike Tobin said he had discovered as much.

“The kid in my [adopted] family wanted Nike shocks for his sneakers, which costs, like, $100!” he said. “I was really surprised, but then Ms Mulligan explained that its all stuff we take for granted.”

When asked how many owned multiple televisions, sneakers that cost over $100, and an X-box, Play station, or similar game console, nearly all the students in the class raised their hands.

Seventh grader Christopher Teri observed how the mother in his adopted family, consisting of a middle-aged single mother and children, did not want anything for herself.

“She just wanted books for her children,” he said, “and winter coats.”

Other requested items were cold-weather-ready gloves, hats, scarves, snowsuits, and boots.

“I think it’s great that some parents requested items only for their children,” said Ms Mulligan. “It really shows where their heart is! It’s great, too, that they requested books for their children. We love to give books!”

Alex Israel and her family, joining together with a neighboring family up the street, adopted an elderly man and a family of two middle-aged parents and two teenaged sons.

“It seems that the adopted families were either elderly, or young single moms, or families with multiple children or teenagers,” Alex observed.

Ian Archer, whose family adopted a single mother with two young children, said that only essentials had been requested.

“The single mom asked for toiletries, and pants for her kids,” said Ian. “We also gave them a gas card and a gift certificate to Big Y.”

Ms Mulligan said that single, older adults or families with young children tended to request fewer “big-ticket” items than families with teens.

“The pressure to fit in hits at preadolescence and onward,” she said. “Before that, it seems to just be the essentials.”

Daniel Craning said he could not understand why American teens “wanted so much stuff.”

“I guess it is just part of society [values],” he mused.

Daniel’s family adopted a single widow in her 70s.

“She really just wanted the basic staples, like gift certificates to Stop & Shop, things like that,” he said. “We got her a gas card, too.”

He said he had “really enjoyed” engaging in the project.

“Helping others makes you feel good,” he said. “It’s important, when you have so much yourself, to give back to those who need it most.”