Help the Holiday Program

Each year, LARS assists families with food and gifts during the holidays. Applicants from the Greater Laurel Area meet with individual caseworkers from LARS to determine need and eligibility. There are several ways that you can get involved and help during this time:

Adopt-A-Family and provide gifts and food for the entire family for the holidays.   The approximate cost of this commitment is $50-$100 per person.  Families are as small as 2 people and have been as large as 12!

Purchase gifts to be distributed to those who are not adopted either because their application was received after the deadline or because there were not enough donor families to adopt them.  Annually, we experience difficulty matching families with teenagers.  Undesignated gifts specifically for teens are a tremendous help.

Purchase gift cards for food and other items that can be used to complement gifts already provided or to give to families whose “wish lists” could not be fulfilled.

Volunteer  for a 2-4 hour shift to help distribute/sort gifts.

Volunteer  to help sort food for a 2-4 hour shift.

In addition to the standard gifts that may be purchased such as dolls and toy trucks, listed below are some recommended items that could be donated:

Small mp3 players or CD players (for teenagers)
Movie Gift Passes
McDonald’s (or other restaurant gift cards)
Toddler (under age 3 gifts)
Gift Cards for Clothing  Items
Gift Cards to Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, or BestBuy

Upon receipt of your donor application, we will match you with a family and mail or e-mail you a letter with information on your  family including the ages of the children and the items from their wish list. If  you have any questions about the holiday program, please call Shelly Kessler at (301) 776-0442 ext. 34.