Fill out the adopter application on our website (https://unitedwaytopeka.org/work/cb/adopt/). Our volunteers will start matching adopters with families beginning around November 2, but it takes time to get everyone matched. It’s fine to check back every week in mid-November if you haven’t received your details by email. Watch our Facebook page for updates on where we are in the process. Our goal is to have all matches made before Thanksgiving.
The traditional Christmas Bureau “adoption” is when we match adopters like you with a family profile, including some wish list items, then you shop, wrap and deliver before Christmas. With so many families qualifying for help, sharing the load with adopters is the only way we can serve everyone.
We also understand that delivery doesn’t work for everyone, so we can meet you in the middle. You can shop for a family and bring the items to us and we will find a volunteer to deliver them, but a lot of long-time adopters know delivery is often the best part! You are also always welcome to make cash donations (just click the Donate Now button at https://unitedwaytopeka.org/work/cb/adopt/) that help us take care of anyone who doesn’t get matched with an adopter.
If you are delivering things yourself, sometime the week before Christmas is usually best. You’ll be able to contact the family directly to make arrangements to deliver at a time that works well for both of you. For some families, this is truly the only way they can afford Christmas, and knowing that it is taken care of in early December lets them feel secure that their kiddos will have something to celebrate. If you adopt singles, they might want a delivery a little closer to Christmas itself, it really just depends on the adoptee.
Working together to adopt families is a great team-building or family activity. If your resources are limited, just adopt a single person. If you are a business with customers or patients, let them help you adopt a larger family by contributing money or purchasing gifts. If you collect more in donations than your family needs, consider adopting more people or contributing the balance to help other families.
Please use the link below to see this year's cost table to determine the gift amount per person and to calculate how many families you are able to adopt this year. While we understand your generosity, we encourage you to stick closely to these guidelines. These guidelines keep the giving equal for everyone being adopted. If you have additional resources, we highly recommend adopting another family to ensure everyone in our community is able to have something for Christmas. 2019 Family Cost Table: https://unitedwaytopeka.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-Family-Cost-Table.pdf
Fill out your form now (https://unitedwaytopeka.org/work/cb/adopt/) and we will start matching when intake ends November 2. It can take up to 2 weeks before we can get all the data into the system and start matching. It’s fine to check back every week in early November if you haven’t received your details by email. Watch our Facebook page for updates on where we are in the process. Our goal is to have all matches made before Thanksgiving.