Iola’s Adopt A Child campaign, one of the community’s largest charitable endeavors to assist needy families with Christmas gifts, will assist more than 200 children in 2025.
Through Adopt A Child, donors purchase a couple of essentials, such as shoes or clothing — described as “needs” — and then a couple of discretionary gifts, such as toys, etc — the “wants.”
Organizers do not set a spending cap or floor, but most shoppers can expect to spend between $50 and $100 per child, Brittany Aikins said.
There are other ways to contribute.
For one, a donor can donate individual gifts — as long as they’re new – or make a financial contribution.
Unwrapped gifts can be taken to Iola’s First Baptist Church, 801 N. Cottonwood, any of the next three Sundays, or to Iola Elementary School between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Financial contributions can be made to Iola’s Emprise Bank branch. (Be sure to let the bank employees know the donation is for Adopt A Child.)
The deadline for donors is Dec. 5.
To inquire about donating, reach out to the Adopt A Child Facebook page, or send an email to adoptachildiola@gmail.com.
Organizers can generally accommodate requests to shop for a certain age or gender.
Several donors have already stepped forward, to the point only 15 or so youngsters still need to be adopted, Aikins said, most of whom are 10 or older.
It should also be noted that Allen Community College students have “adopted” 44 children, although Aikins said those donations will only go for the youngsters’ “wants.”
“If other people want to donate clothes or shoes, they’re certainly welcome to do so,” Aikins said. “We can give them a list with sizes.”
