Saline Area Social Services and its Board of Directors would like to express its gratitude to over 130 individuals, organizations, businesses and schools in the greater Saline area that over this holiday season supported our Adopt-a-Family program, which has been in operation for 45 consecutive years.

Over 350 clients of SASS in the Saline Area School District, half of them children, received gifts, food baskets and other assistance last month. In these troubling economic times, this was a record number for this small but effective and well-run agency.

St. Paul United Church of Christ donated space for the many volunteers early in December, as they checked in and wrapped gifts for clients to pick up. Other donated items were available as well, such as new children’s books given by a local book club, gently used coats gathered and cleaned by Charles Reinhart Co., groceries, paper products, and toiletries from the National Honor Society canned food drive and school donations. Saline Area Social Service is a private, non-profit organization supported by the United Way and donations. The success of our Adopt-a-Family program is a great example of “neighbor helping neighbor” in our community, not only at holiday times but throughout the whole year.

Debby Hendricks, Adopt-a-Family chairwoman and board member Saline