United Way’s Adopt-A-Family program is brightening the holidays for 143 families this year. Many are kinship care families in which relatives or close family friends provide temporary care to children whose parents are facing challenges. The program’s success hinges on the efforts of scores of community partners — individuals, families, corporate and faith-based groups and others. This is the story of one partner: Withrow University High School’s DECA chapter.

Shadeed’s task was to research possible community service projects for Withrow’s DECA chapter, then select one. He chose Adopt-A-Family. 

“I love helping people,” said Shadeed, a junior. 

Yolanda Lauderdale, Withrow’s DECA adviser, saw it as an excellent choice. DECA prepares young people for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. “Students can take what they’re learning in the classroom and apply it to something like (Adopt-A-Family),” she said.

DECA members adopted a Winton Terrace family of three whose wish list included comforter sets, cookware, shoes, hair products and toys. The fundraising goal: $300.

DECA members then planned and hosted a fundraiser at Withrow, tapping their marketing, organizing and financial skills. They chose and purchased items to sell, including snacks and drinks. They managed inventory. They staffed a table outside the cafeteria. They tracked expenses and sales. They tallied the amount they raised.   
  
“It’s really fulfilling to see something you planned and orchestrated come together in a successful way,” said Noelle, a junior. “It felt really nice to reach our donation goal.”

In fact, they easily surpassed it, raising more than $500. 

As a result, when it came time for DECA members to shop for their adopted family, they were able to purchase additional items, including pillows, laundry detergent, toothpaste and other household items. 

About 10 to 15 students helped with the fundraiser, including Zipporah, a junior who has been involved in many community service projects. Often, such projects focus on the needs of adults. “This is one of my favorites,” she said, “because it’s for the kids, too.”

In all, about 70 Withrow students were involved in some aspect of Adopt-A-Family.

“They’re already asking to do it again next year,” Lauderdale said. The experience offered lessons about teamwork and accountability, she said, but it was more than that.

“It felt good to be actively involved in helping someone who really needs help,” Noelle said. “It felt like I was giving back to the community.”

United Way of Greater Cincinnati (UWGC) fights for the economic well-being of all people in Greater Cincinnati so our entire community can thrive – now and in the future. Founded in 1915, UWGC is one of the region’s largest nonprofit organizations. It is committed to working alongside policymakers, community partners and donors to promote educational success, financial empowerment and housing security. Learn more about UWGC’s work across nine counties in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at UWGC.org. #UnitedWeThrive