YRMC “Adopts” Families in Need for the Holidays

This month, the children of 44 families in the Quad-city area will be having a more joyful Christmas thanks to the generosity of several departments of the Yavapai Regional Medical Center.

YRMC is participating in “Adopt a Family for the Holidays”, a program that invites hospital departments to purchase gifts for the children of families participating in YRMC’s ‘Healthy Families’ program. Healthy Families is a free and voluntary home visiting program for families with children ages prenatal to five years old that is funded in part by First Things First. Through the program, families receive home visits every two weeks from a family support specialist, who partners with parents to boost the learning and development of their child through information, activities, developmental assessments and connection to other community resources. Healthy Families also holds monthly playgroups for families to come together, learn and have fun.

When YRMC CEO John Amos and YRMC COO Larry Burns heard about the “Adopt a Family for the Holidays” program from Healthy Families Director Lance Spears, they sent an email to every department of the hospital inviting them to participate. The response was huge.

“We’re so grateful to the staff of YRMC for bringing a joyous experience to the kids of forty-four families in our program,” said Spears.  “Many of the families we work with are struggling financially, and we’re seeing a great deal of need.”

The families ‘adopted’ by the program created holiday wish lists, which were provided- without mention of family names- to participating hospital departments. Most of these wish lists included things like warm children’s winter clothes, diapers, basic toys, and household necessities. One family, who has been unable to afford a vacuum cleaner, put one on their list. These gifts will be dropped off to families at their homes by their family support specialist.

“Without this generous help, there wouldn’t be holiday gifts for most of these kids,” said Spears.

Community members wishing to support the children enrolled in the Healthy Families program are invited to donate diapers and children’s books, which can be dropped off in the lobby of the YRMC East Campus. For more information about Healthy Families, please call Lance Spears at 771-5651 X 3945.