Warm meals and warm hearts: Adopt-a-Box helps make sure families have a happy holiday

As part of its continuing mission to make sure Mat-Su families have enough to eat this holiday season, staff and volunteers at Frontline Mission have been hard at work preparing and distributing boxes of food as part of their annual Adopt-A-Box program.

“Lots of folks are coming through, getting grocery items, a ham or turkey, whatever they need. It’s a great time,” said Frontline Mission Executive Director Matthew Sheets.

People were invited to share a meal of warm, hearty soup, hot cocoa, and then had the opportunity to shop for essential grocery items for a proper holiday meal, including potatoes, canned vegetables, stuffing, canned soups, fresh produce, and other fixings. Volunteer shoppers were on hand to help people select what they needed, and as they left, they were able to select either a ham or turkey to round out their meals.

People were also able to pick up a gift card and special Christmas gift bags with little tokens to remind them that they are not alone, which were put together during the Community Thanksgiving Dinner last month.

Families were also invited to do some gift shopping, choosing from household items, clothing, and more.

“Lots of volunteers are helping out so folks can have a meal. It’s a blessing.”

While the food will warm the bellies of families in need, volunteers say they are warmed by the generosity of the local community response to make sure everyone has something to eat this holiday.

“It’s wonderful. I love coming to volunteer and help people,” said Chloe Miltenberger, who said this was her third time volunteering with Frontline Mission. “We just love doing this so much. It’s so much fun.”

Miltenberger recounted an earlier story with a woman who’d come in to utilize the program and was in tears, grateful for the opportunity to have something for Christmas. “She was in tears because of everything we were doing for her. Each time we pointed to the next thing, she would cry a little more. She was so happy and relieved. That’s what this is all about.”

Sheets said he anticipated 500 families coming through, estimating an average family of four, though they were prepared for 600 families.