Christmas is the gift for families in need

Sandy Steenhard took a break from her job on Monday morning to tend to some important family business.

She turned out for the Salvation Army’s annual Adopt-a-Family program in which families receive donated gifts and food.

“My family is able to have a Christmas because of this right here,” said Steenhard of the donations. “I am very thankful.”

“Salvation Army does help people. They help a lot,” she said.

Steenhard, 42, has five children ages 1, 2, 5, 8 and 15.

Her husband was jailed after he was caught riding in a stolen car and is facing a felony charge, she said.

That left her as the sole wage earner. She stocks merchandise at a big-box retail store in Spokane Valley, she said.

Steenhard turned to the Salvation Army for help, and was able to find new affordable housing for her family.

Her family is one of 78 being helped through the program in which donors sign up to fill Christmas needs.

All of the families are living in Salvation Army shelters or are continuing to receive support from Salvation Army caseworkers following a stay at one of the shelters.

Now in its sixth year, the Salvation Army puts on a Christmas program in the morning, and then the families receive the help, but not until they fill out a thank you card for their donors.

Donors gather gifts and food items for their adopted family and deliver the items to the Salvation Army.

Donations come from families and groups of co-workers, said Susan Purdom, a real estate agent who volunteers during the holidays at the Salvation Army.

Purdom said she likes to support Salvation Army programs because the agency works hard to keep its overhead low and get maximum help to folks in need.

Sheila Geraghty, Salvation Army business administrator, said the Adopt-a-Family program also receives donations of clothing from Old Navy, which helps fill a need for gifts for teenage children.

Daniel Bradford, his wife, Robin, and their two girls received boxes filled with items they can use, including a slow cooker for cooking the donated food items.

Some of the items intended for the children were put in a black plastic bag so that there would still be some Christmas excitement for the two girls.

“If it wasn’t for this, we wouldn’t have gifts for our children,” Robin Bradford said. “We are really grateful.”

Daniel Bradford, who is recovering from a serious internal infection, said he and his family lost their rental unit when the property went into foreclosure. The new owner turned out the family as part of a remodeling plan.

The Bradfords sought emergency housing through the Salvation Army and are now staying with friends until they can be placed in another home.

Daniel Bradford, a former foundry worker and rehabilitation counselor, is pursuing a health-related disability case, he said.

“It’s overwhelming,” he said of the donations. “It’s more than I expected.”