New York’s Staten Island. Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) is continuing its annual Adopt-A-Family initiative for the 27th year in a row, providing holiday cheer to underprivileged Staten Island families.
Thanks to the generosity of West Brighton hospital staff, local businesses and organizations, and Jennifer Dominguez’s tireless efforts, the program distributes over 500 gifts annually to Staten Island students, approximately 50 families, and 150 Head Start preschoolers.
The program provides books, toys, clothes, and gift cards to families and schoolchildren.
At the hospital, Dominguez, a resident of Rossville, serves as Santa Claus during the months of November and December.
In the other months of the year, Dominguez serves as the Department of Medicine’s education coordinator, the hospital’s continuing medical education coordinator, and the administrator of community training.
Dominguez explained that although the hospital’s Family Health Center, a pediatric clinic located at 800 Castleton Ave., has identified the families as being in extreme financial need, “we can’t give them everything, but we can give them something to open on Christmas morning.”
Hospital departments select which families to shop for. They provide clothing, toys, and other necessities. Gift certificates for food are also donated, according to Dominguez.
Each family is then given a large canvas bag filled with wrapped presents later in December.
Donors only have rudimentary knowledge of the beneficiaries of their gifts.
Staffers are only provided the family members’ ages and requests, Dominguez explained, adding that we attempt to keep everything secret. They bring me all the presents.
She laughed as she said, “Schoolchildren are frequently the first ones grabbed.”
According to her, such are always adopted. Everyone likes to purchase items for children.
The effort doesn’t end with the shopping, gathering, and naming of the presents.
The difficult duty that many of us fear during the holiday season is then started by Lucille Forlenza, a lifelong volunteer and the vice president of the hospital’s auxiliary.
This time of year, the Richmond University Medical Center’s Adopt-A-Family Program is in full swing, and Forlenza is busy wrapping gifts for it. Richmond University Medical Center is the source.Richmond University Medical Center provided this image.
Every gift is wrapped and given to the family in the hospital’s Bard Avenue lobby when they are scheduled to visit.
According to Dominguez, even though the program is officially closed to new applicants, some stragglers are always accepted.
She stated that we always accept last-minute calls. I can’t exclude anyone. I simply cannot. We give children two toys if we are unable to provide them with clothing.
Although she wishes she could give them more, Dominguez said she enjoys giving. To make a dollar go as long as possible, she and volunteers go to sales and look for deals, she added.
Every child under the age of twelve receives a gift, and every child in each participating family is assured a book. A gift card from ShopRite or local sponsors is also provided to the family, and each member gets a piece of apparel.
ShopRite of Staten Island is always dependable for sponsoring families and donating gift cards, and local non-profits, such as Father Vincent R. Capodanno Lodge and the Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, have been incredibly kind over the years, Dominguez said.
However, she stated that additional gifts are always required.
“I always say gift cards if people ask,” Dominguez remarked. We utilize everything and truly appreciate it.
Would you like to help?
More families will have something to open this holiday because to the efforts of community members.
You can contribute gift cards and donations by giving Dominguez a call at 718-818-3106.
During the holidays, Richmond University Medical Center’s Adopt-A-Family Program gives hundreds of books, toys, and clothing items to people in need. A truckload of gifts from the previous year is prepared here for the kids of Staten Island. Richmond University Medical Center is the source.Richmond University Medical Center provided this image.
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