Adopt-A-Family for the Holidays MN

Who We Are - 14 Years Later

What began as a simple class project at Minneapolis Community & Technical College, now Minneapolis College, has grown into a statewide movement of compassion. In the first season, fewer than a dozen families were helped, mostly single moms and homeless students. Fourteen years later, the program has reached more than 10,000 Minnesota families with hope, dignity, and holiday joy.

Bethany describes the program as having "Paul Wellstone beginnings" at heart, carrying forward the spirit that "we all do better when we all do better." The mission remains neighbors helping neighbors, with sponsors, volunteers, and partners as the heartbeat of the work.

Every family is screened for eligibility, and adopted families are cross-checked with other programs to keep the process fair for sponsors, applicants, and community partners.

Community pathways

Through Bethany and Brian's network, 2nd Chance Recovery Resources, recovery-community relationships, and word of mouth, families are reached through many trusted pathways.

Domestic abuse shelters

Treatment centers and mental health facilities

Sober living homes

Transitional housing programs

Reentry education programs

Veteran-specific programs

Homeless shelters across Minnesota

Food shelves

Churches, schools, businesses, and community drives

Direct sponsorships

Personal family sponsorship

Direct sponsorships connect a sponsor personally with a family after review and matching. Sponsors shop for the family's wishes and deliver gifts directly once the family is selected and connected.

Indirect sponsorships

Anonymous protected support

Indirect sponsorships allow donors to remain anonymous while helping families who need additional privacy. Those families are assigned a private number, and gifts can be dropped off at volunteer locations around the Twin Cities metro area or coordinated through approved pickup and drop-off arrangements.

How to apply for direct holiday sponsorship

Direct sponsorship applications are accepted through November 20. Applicants must be Minnesota parents or legal guardians applying for their own children age 17 or younger.

Proof of parentage: birth certificate for each child age 17 or younger

Minnesota driver's license or Minnesota state ID

Proof of address, such as utility bill, post-dated mail, shelter verification, or county letter

Proof of income, with any Social Security number fully crossed out or redacted

Guardianship or foster paperwork if the applicant is not the biological or adoptive parent

No Social Security numbers are requested or accepted. If a document contains a Social Security number, cross it out or redact it before sending.

Apply for Help Eligibility Guidelines

Other ways to help

Sponsoring is not the only way to help. Every act of generosity matters, from a single toy to a holiday meal card to a community drive.

Cookie-making supplies

Stockings and stocking stuffers

Single toys

Holiday meal gift cards

Hygiene items

Blankets and household supplies

Teen-friendly gift cards

Gas, bus, retail, grocery, and delivery support

Help is not guaranteed. Sponsors choose families that work best for them, applications are processed in the order they are received, and families are encouraged to apply with other organizations as a backup plan.