For most of us, the winter holidays are a happy time filled with anticipation, special meals and gift giving. Unfortunately, for some Madison families, the holidays are a time of much added financial and emotional stress. Every year the Nakoma League Sponsors the Adopt a Family program, working with the YWCA's Third Street Residence Program to provide a happy holiday for 12 single mothers, each with a young child or two. Our goal is to provide gifts and stockings for each mother and child. 

Nakomans Show Generosity through Adopt a Family

The holidays can be especially tough for families in economic times like these. Yet, once again, the generous residents of Nakoma provided gifts and some much-needed items to 12 mothers and their children at the YWCA Third Street. 

YWCA contact Nancy Wrenn Bauch summed it up by saying, “Thank you, thank you for all of your good work bringing the gifts to the 3rd Street families.” 

All of the gifts were made possible through the financial and gift contributions of neighbors. While some Nakomans shopped for entire families, others shopped for individuals and still others contributed cash donations with which League volunteers did the shopping. Each contribution, no matter the size, made a difference. With $2250 in cash contributions from a total of 53 households, the League provided all residents with received gifts from their wish lists, as well as gift bags including some essentials. We were even able to give gift bags to three families in another YWCA program and still have money left over for a lump-sum donation to the 3rd Street program. These funds will be used by the YWCA to purchase something special to benefit all of its residents.

Leading the charge on Adopt a Family again this year was Beth Kugler. Nakoma League treasurer Kay Kamps supported Beth by handling all financial contributions. Beth Rogers kindly stored all gifts in her home until the time of delivery. Annemarie Banas shopped for and provided food items for each family. Their efforts were supplemented with the shopping assistance of Patti Glasz, Julie Bauhs, Jill McNaughton, Tasha Bremel, Carole Bain and Kim Walters. 

This year, hard-working Girl Scout Troop 100 donated their time and energy to wrap gifts, fill gift bags and help deliver items to the YWCA. They also adopted a family. Troop 100’s much appreciated efforts were orchestrated by troop leaders Katie Arnesen and Heidi Vierstra.

The following households purchased gifts: Petri, Timme, Zellmer, Bastian, Hyzer, Weber & Campbell, Durham, Arnesen, Still, McDonald & Everts, Bauhs, Walters, Pfau, McGuire & Nelson. 

These households made financial contributions: Laurie Anderson, Andes, Becker, Blumenfeld, Brisdon, Buchanan, Carne, Champagne & Blesner, Cook, Damm, J. & J. Davis, DeAngeles & Kruger, Dieter, Douma, Eichhorn, Frei, Gepner, Gleason, Greer, Helgeson, Holm, Hostetler, Jain, Kahan, Kazamias, Keehn, Kugler, Levy, Leyer, Luebke & Leeds, Magnuson, McIntosh & James, Moore, Morgenbesser, Moser, O’Connor, Odders-White, Reynolds, Rice, Ritter, Robinson, Rose, Rubin, Schaak, Schindler, Simenstad, T. & J. Smith, Younger, Walters, Welch, Widder, Wood, and Zimmerman.