DOWNEY – This holiday season, give the gift of joy and compassion by “adopting” a Rancho patient and their family.

Each year the Rancho Los Amigos Foundation, in collaboration with Rancho’s Volunteer Service and Social Work Departments, facilitates their annual Adopt-A-Family efforts to support Rancho patients and their families during what can be a difficult holiday season.

Last year, through a partnership with Bank of America, Veritiv, Pushrim, Global Paratransit, and various Rancho staff members and their departments, the Foundation was able to provide gift cards for home essentials, food, and presents to more than 50 patients and their families.

Carlos Benavides, former Rancho patient and longtime advocate for the disabled community has witnessed first-hand the impact the Foundation’s Adopt-A-Family program has made over the years. Carlos shared, “most of Rancho’s patients are on extremely fixed incomes. For many of them, just knowing that they’ll be receiving food and gift cards for other essentials needed makes all the difference in keeping their hope alive.”

Rancho’s Social Work Department identifies patients with the greatest level of need and interviews them to understand their immediate family unit and their current hardships. In addition, Rancho’s Volunteer Services Department organizes a campus-wide drive for non-perishable foods to give to the adopted families. This year, the Rancho Los Amigos Foundation is seeking the support of the Downey community to help expand their Adopt-A-Family program.

For every patient family adopted, the Rancho Los Amigos Foundation will give that family a gift card for food. With more families in need than ever before, this is the time to consider partnering with the Foundation.

To adopt a family, simply visit www.RanchoFoundation.org/AdoptAFamily. Your generosity will go a long way towards ensuring no family is left behind during this holiday season.

For more information on the adopt-a-family or other programs and services funded by the Rancho Los Amigos Foundation, call (562) 385-7053 or go to www.RanchoFoundation.org.