Kinsmen Club gives back to 50 families in this year’s Adopt-A-Family campaign

A number of Saskatoon families will benefit from CKOM’s Adopt-A-Family this year.

The program, which wrapped up this weekend, partners with The Salvation Army to match families who need a helping hand with donors who shop for gifts, non-perishable food items, and gift cards.

With inflation rapidly rising, a special Christmas filled with gifts and a holiday meal might not be within reach for some families.

This year’s campaign had 280 donors who delivered gifts Saturday at a drive-thru event, ensuring families can have a joyful holiday season.

The Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon has been an active donor in the campaign, and this season, it has “adopted” 50 families.

Travis Inglis, a member of the Kinsmen Club, said this has been a long-standing initiative with the organization.

“The Kinsmen Club is all about serving the community’s greatest needs, and what greater need is there than helping families out during the holiday season?” he said.

He said Adopt-A-Family was a great opportunity for the club to engage in kinship, with members buying gifts and food for children and putting together hampers for families.

“It means everything to us, to get together and engage in meaningful volunteerism for people who really need it the most,” he said.

Inglis said the club will typically adopt 50 families. This year, it will donate an extra $1,500 to The Salvation Army to provide resources to families in need.
“With more than 5,000 families who are part of the program, the gifts and monetary donations sponsor families provide go a long way to making sure everyone enjoys the magic and spirit of Christmas,” Derek Kerr with The Salvation Army said in a media release.

He noted The Salvation Army hasn’t seen so much need in the community since after the Second World War.

Inglis said the club is able to give back to campaigns through its own initiatives like the Kinsmen Sports Celebrity Dinner in February that will feature speakers from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Adopt-A-Family started in 1988, collecting $5,000 in its first year. Last year, the campaign collected $92,800 in money, food and gifts and gave back to 615 families.