For the seventh year in a row, Cooper employees have helped make the holidays brighter for families in need throughout South Jersey. Find out how holiday wishes came true – especially for this dad and his three children.
Through the Adopt-A-Family program in partnership with Volunteers of America, Cooper employees collected and donated gifts for more than 125 families, fulfilling their holiday wish lists.
Bicycles, video games… and one unique request.
“Everybody was so excited to do something,” said Cathy Curley, Assistant Vice President of Population Health and Community Outreach. “We feel like we were able to get everything on the list as a team.”
Including bunk beds.
Curley’s team adopted a family that included a single father and three children. The father had a basic request – bunk beds so his three children would no longer have to sleep on the floor.
“I said to my husband, ‘I really need to get these bunk beds,’” Curley said. “This is horrible that children would have to sleep on the floor. They deserve better.”
Thanks to Curley and her husband, the children will be sleeping in bunk beds – the bottom bunk pulls out to a double – for the holidays.
That’s not all.
The Population Health and Community Outreach teams pulled together to purchase new bedding, clothes, toys, and everything else, plus some extras, on the list. Curley said special thanks goes to Rachel Powell, Program Manager, and Lorraine Sweeney, Community Outreach Coordinator, for their help in pulling everyone together.
“The Adopt-A-Family program is really personal,” said Rebecca Fuller, Vice President of Development and Communications for Volunteers of America. “Because of you, families are going to have a better holiday.
“There is a huge need out there,” Fuller continued. “We’re able to help so many more families because Cooper adopts so many families. Having Cooper involved is enormous.”
Click here to see participating Cooper staff!