By BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Los Alamos
Alpha Zeta, a local Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, is collaborating with local schools to identify families who could use a little extra love over the holiday season. Their Adopt-A-Family program for 2025 has received 54 applications, with 13 families looking for sponsors.
Families who remain include families with grandparents in the home, single parents with multiple children, and single-child families. The biggest family remaining is a family of seven, and the smallest is a family of two.
“About 80 percent of the families in the program live in Los Alamos County; the other 20 percent live in surrounding counties,” Alpha Zeta member Kate Stoddard said. “The only requirement to be a part of our program is that the child(ren) attends a school in Los Alamos.”
Alpha Zeta knows that times are hard for many but have a variety of ways to contribute. Sponsors are asked to provide at least one need, and one want for each child, and a gift card for food for the family, even though most of their sponsors want to provide something for all family members.
“We love sponsors of all kinds,” Stoddard said. “We often have sponsors that are happy to provide a gift card for food for the family, but may not have time to shop or may not have the means to do as much as they would like for the family. We are happy to match sponsors together.”
If residents can donate small gift cards, the ladies of Alpha Zeta will make sure needs are met. The members of Alpha Zeta know the community is generous, and local gift cards can allow one-stop shopping to pick up a toy, clothing item, food, or gas. Their families vary in age ranges, and some are local grandparents raising their grandchildren.
“Food insecurity is a concern we see every year,” Stoddard said. “Gift cards to the local grocery stores, such as Smith’s, Natural Grocers, the Los Alamos Co-Op and the Indian market, are a great donation, as it allows our families to get fresh produce and dairy products.”
Stoddard added that Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce gift certificates (Chamber Bucks) can be used for local businesses, which are great for families and help small businesses. She said no gift card will be turned away.
The Adopt-A-Family program is near and dear to the members of Alpha Zeta, and the last 22 years have allowed them to coordinate and grow a program in which the community blesses each other and the volunteer members. They are women from a multitude of backgrounds and talents, and the desire of these women is to continuously improve.
The drop-off location for donations and gift cards is the First Baptist Church at 2200 Diamond Drive, where Alpha Zeta volunteers will be on hand 1-6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, to facilitate the magic of the season.