PAMA Adopt A Child Program Helps 111 Area Children This Year
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
Written by: Susan Schwanke, Adopt A Child Coordinator for PAMA
Once again, the Palmyra and Philadelphia area got to experience small-town generosity at its finest 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.
Applications are available 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-five families representing 111 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 trailer 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. This year additional food for each family was donated by Catholic Charities. 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 45 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 you smile and be thankful that we are blessed to live in such a caring and giving community.
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 and delivering the food, Palmyra FFA for fruit, Catholic Charities for extra food, everyone who donated anything “extra” this year to be handed out, the PHS basketball teams for helping carry in food, 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.”