Pama Adopt A Child Program Helps 47 Families This Year
Submitted by: Susan Schwanke, Adopt A Child Coordinator for PAMA
Palmyra, Missouri – especially at Christmastime – with it’s blue lights sending a glow over a quaint and bustling Main Street, might make one reminiscent of a fictional small town like Bedford Falls, the setting for the Christmas Classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”. In this beloved holiday story, George Bailey realizes that his community cares enough about him to help him out of a dire situation, each by giving whatever they could, but giving from the heart.
We get to experience that same magic of small-town generosity and love for fellow man every year in our community through the Palmyra Area Ministerial Alliance’s Adopt A Child program. This program has been actively helping families in our area for almost 40 years. It was started on Main Street by a few caring individuals, who saw a need and took it upon themselves to do something to help. They recruited donations from townspeople and helped several families have a better Christmas. The program has evolved and changed over the years and it now serves families in the Palmyra R1 and Marion Co R2 School Districts. It is overseen by the leadership of PAMA, with a volunteer coordinator to organize.
This year applications were distributed at the end of September, returned in October and November and approved based on family income and need. Applications include space to list the ages and gender of each child, along with clothing sizes, favorite colors and items on their wish list. Forty-seven families representing 119 children were served by the program this year. At an “adoption meeting” held in November; various organizations, businesses, churches, groups and even individuals, “adopt” one or more families and pledge to cover the needs of that particular family. Each family is assigned a number by the coordinator to ensure the anonymity of the families who are served.
In late December the gifts and supplies for each family are brought in to a location and organized for distribution. PAMA also requests cash donations during this time and utilizes a portion of the funds collected to purchase food for the families at County Market. County Market works with the program on food and brings a truck load to the distribution center, which is sorted and bagged for each family. For several years the Palmyra FFA has also generously donated the leftover fruit from their fundraiser so the families can have fresh fruit over the holidays. Families have received a letter in November, letting them know that their family was adopted and giving them their official Family Number and instructions on when and where to pick up their items on distribution day.
Drop off day and distribution day are my two very favorite days of the entire year. When you get to see a facility like Farischon Hall filled with 47 tables full of wrapped gifts, laundry baskets full of household and personal supplies, bags of groceries and fruit for each family it can’t help but make your heart swell.
Every year as I watch the gifts being dropped off, I believe we get to witness just a bit of the magic that George Bailey and Mary felt on that Christmas Eve in the fictional town of Bedford Falls, standing in front of their Christmas Tree and watching the people rush in the door to help. The items in that room represent donations, small and large from a huge number of people who each give from their heart, in order to help a neighbor.
Some could say we are even more blessed than George because all of these people donate never having any idea of who they are helping. That is one of the great blessings of life in small town America. We truly are all “The richest people in town” when we work together.
PAMA is a 501c3 organization, made up of the leadership of the churches in the Palmyra area. In addition to the Adopt A Child program, PAMA coordinates community events including Church Night at the Fair, Community Advent and Lenten devotional lunches, Community Ash Wednesday worship; and supports those in the local area with assistance based on need. Donations can still be made to PAMA to further the missions of their organization, please make checks payable to PAMA and mail to PO Box 362 Palmyra, MO 63461.
“I am blessed to be the coordinator for this program and would like to thank the leadership of PAMA for the trust they put in me. Also huge thank you to: Zion Lutheran Church for being our “host church”, especially Pastor Wes Gehrke and church secretary Pam Behring, St Joseph’s Catholic Church for allowing us to use the Farischon Hall for drop off and distribution of the gifts and all the help they provide, County Market for working with PAMA on food gifts, Palmyra FFA for fruit, all the area churches, businesses, organizations and individuals who have donated financially and adopted families, and all the amazing volunteers who work behind the scenes to make things go so smoothly. It truly takes a village and we have an amazing one. Merry Christmas Everyone.”
