Adopt-A-Child in full swing despite cutbacks

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (03/10/11) From left: Abby, 8, Chloe, 8, and Alisha, 8, make a snowman at the Yardman Arena. Prince Edward County OPP Cst. Kim Guthrie helps them add the finishing touch - a police hat. The girls played in a small pile of snow as part of a press conference given by police, announcing that Radio Adoptions for the local Adopt-A-Child committee has begun. Anyone interested in donating a new children’s coat can call Quinte Broadcasting until Oct. 28 to obtain the name of a child in need. Photo by Renee Rodgers.

By Renée Rodgers

The local Adopt-A-Child committee may have been forced to scale back its services, but it’s still working to make sure no child gets left out in the cold this winter.

The committee, which is dedicated to providing warm outerwear for local children of low-income working families, began in 1987 as a partnership between Belleville Police Service and Quinte Broadcasting. That year, the committee helped to clothe 118 local children for the winter.

This year, about 1,000 children, ages 12 and under, have registered with the organization for new coats.

“But if we were doing 13-year-olds we’d probably have closer to 1,200,” said Constable Ann Earle, the committee chairperson.

A financial surplus a few years ago allowed the committee to start providing coats for 13-year-olds. But the committee found it so hard to make ends meet last year, they decided to step down their services.

“Last year we almost didn’t make it, so we had to go back down to 12 (years old and under),” said Earle.

The need for children’s winter outerwear grows ever year, said Earle. But donations do not. The committee still needs hundreds of coats before they have enough for all 1,000 children.

This year, committee members will also be attending three local businesses with the names of children who are in need of winter coats. On Oct. 12, the committee will be at Zellers on Bell Blvd. On Oct. 13, they will be at Sears in the Quinte Mall. On October 14, they will be at Wal-Mart. The committee will attend the stores from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day in hopes of receiving more donations so the 1,000 children registered can stay warm this winter.

Adopt-A-Child ‘Radio Adoptions’ were kicked off Oct. 3and run until Oct. 28. Local community members can call Quinte Broadcasting and receive the name of a local child they can then “adopt’ and buy a new coat for.

“If they (donors) want to sponsor a child in Madoc or Picton they can specifically ask for those areas and they will be given a child in that area,” said Earle. “They’re not given the full name, they’re just given a (first) name and a code number so it’s anonymous.”

Donations of new winter clothing can be dropped off at Quinte West OPP, Picton OPP, Madoc OPP, Napanee or Stirling Police, the Belleville Police Service or Quinte Broadcasting.

Adopt-A-Child will also take cash donations and do the shopping for donors who are low on time.

Visa and MasterCard donations can be made by calling Quinte Broadcasting at (613) 969-5555.