ABSTRACT
It is a common phenomenon that donations of time and money are higher during the holidays, even though the needs of low-income families are year-round. The San Mateo County Adopt-A-Family program, established in November 1997 by Al Teglia, legislative aide to San Mateo County Supervisor Mary Griffin, seeks to expand on the popular holiday programs run each year to ease the hardships of low-income families on a more continuous basis. The focus of the year-round Adopt-A-Family program is to provide for the physical needs of these families as well as build a supportive relationship between “godparents” and their adopted families. In the course of its development, it has also emerged as a valuable countywide network able to link available resources with those in need.
