FAQ

Family information will be available by mid-October.  If you would like to be notified when the information becomes available online, please email adoptafamily@familiesfirst.org.

All families who apply for assistance through the Families First Adopt-A-Family program are enrolled in or affiliated with our programs throughout the metro Atlanta community.  This includes families who were previously homeless, teen mothers, youth who have aged out of foster care, etc.  These families are living at or below the poverty level or face economic challenges on a daily basis.

No. You can choose to adopt a family for just one holiday.

Once you have selected a family and entered your information, you will receive an email with the family details including their needs and wish list.

The clothing sizes for each family member will be included in the email that is sent to you immediately after you make your selection to adopt your family.  If you adopt more than one family, the information for each family will be on a spreadsheet attached to that confirmation email.

We recommend using the guideline of $50 per family of 2, $100 for a family of four, $150 for a family of six, and $200 for a family of eight. We ask that you donate a $25 gift card for the family to purchase a turkey. Click here for a list of requested food items.

We only accept non-perishable food items!  We cannot accept turkeys or other items that require refrigeration.

For Thanksgiving, we ask that you bring the items in a box, laundry basket, or sturdy reusable shopping bag.  Laundry baskets and reusable shopping bags are also handy for our families after the holidays.  Please avoid using several different grocery bags for one family, if possible.

For most families of four members or less, we recommend that their gifts fit into two (2) large heavy duty garbage bags.  If your family has requested a large item (e.g., a bicycle), you may choose to purchase a gift card in the amount of the item instead of the item itself.  We will gratefully accept larger deliveries, but prefer that most are of a more manageable size due to space constraints at our delivery location.

You are more than welcome to send us gift cards!  We have new families entering our programs every day who will have missed the deadline to apply for assistance this holiday season.  If you choose to send in gift cards for our general use, you can mail them to Families First, ATTN: VOLUNTEER.  Please mail gift cards for Thanksgiving no later than November 5, and for the December Holidays no later than December 5.

Absolutely!  You can also contact us to find out what our current needs are – coats, linens, towels, etc.  If you are interested in Families First being the beneficiary of your organization’s toy or gift drive, please email adoptafamily@familiesfirst.org, and we will send you the details on deadlines and delivery instructions.

Families First is happy to acknowledge your Adopt-A-Family donation for tax purposes. We will provide an in-kind donation form for you to complete. Upon receipt of the completed and signed in-kind donation form, Families First will email you an acknowledgement letter after the holidays which can be submitted to your tax preparer.

We have ongoing needs throughout the year for all of our clients, and we are requesting hygiene items, linens and towels, baby goods, coats, and Marta cards (transportation to school/work for our clients).

We also have a real need for gift cards to purchase gifts for those clients and their families who enter one of our programs between now and the holidays.

Volunteers are also needed to help with donation drop-off days, sorting and wrapping of gifts at our home office, and assisting with staff pick-up days. Please email adoptafamily@familiesfirst.org if you would like to volunteer your time as an Elf Helper behind the scenes!