Before the Adopt a Family program started, the student government would help a family or two every year. However, when teacher Miss Marnie Hade once led the student government in 2004, she adjusted the program by having the community participate.

  The current student government advisor is teacher Mrs. Abby Tanner but Hade is still in charge of the Adopt a Family program.

  All the families that were adopted are within the Northwest community and of any age or school. Hade started off her first year in 2004 with two families and last year helped 43 families, representing more than 120 students. This year there is approximately 37 families that are representing 127 students.

  The process Hade goes through to find which households are eligible for adoption includes sending emails to every staff member in the school district to find possible families in need.

  After the emails are sent, the students are required to make ornaments. The elementary students start by cutting out shapes to give to the middle school students, who will string them.

  Finally, high school students write the needs on them and hang them on numerous trees throughout the district.

  The ornaments were hung up on the Christmas trees located in Klavon’s, First Church of the Nazarene, Hankerd Hills, The Lost Shoe, and New Horizon’s Church. Peers donated items to the locations such as food, toiletries, clothing, and toys. Household were offered a cooked holiday meal from Meijer, which they would have pick up on Christmas Eve.

  Everyone can help out by signing up in Hade’s room to volunteer after school to wrap and sort gifts, or donate money on Dec. 18 and 19.