Robert Barclay

Central Michigan University seniors Whitney Budden (left) of Byron Center and Chelsea Briggs of Royal Oak shop for gifts for the family adopted by their Leadership 200: Introduction to Leadership class as part of the countywide Adopt A Family program. CMU students, faculty and staff adopted nearly 50 families this year and raised approximately $20,000 to purchase gifts from the families' wish lists.

Led by the CMU Volunteer Center, CMU organizations and departments have "adopted" 49 families - close to 200 individuals in all - as part of the United Way of Isabella County's annual Adopt A Family program, raising funds and purchasing thousands of dollars in gifts from families' wish lists.

"The families enrolled in the program are referred to United Way by an outside service agency, such as a local school or the Department of Human Services," said Amy Town, community impact coordinator for United Way of Isabella County.

Approximately 34 families have unemployed family members or are struggling with reduced employment hours, 18 families have had unexpected large expenses, 80 are living at or below the poverty level, 38 are single-parent households, 16 families have disabled family members, one family is homeless, and many have fallen on temporary hardships.

Nearly 140 families in Isabella County were selected for the program this year, and CMU groups adopted 35 percent of those.

"The CMU Volunteer Center's participation in matching groups to families in need is vital to the success of the Adopt A Family holiday program each year," said Town. "The CMU Volunteer Center is best suited to reach out to offices, departments and especially to student organizations to involve them in giving to the community, and we are so grateful for their unending support of this program. Their willingness to dive in, year after year, devoting staff time and effort, is truly appreciated."

Eric Buschlen, who coordinates CMU's leadership minor, said his students in all three sections of Leadership 200: Introduction to Leadership collected deposit-bearing bottles and cans, requested funds from clubs and organizations, accepted donations from family and friends, and also contributed their own money, raising more than $1,500 to purchase gifts for their three five-member families.

"This is an ideal way to showcase the principles of servant leadership, which is taught in LDR 200," he said. "I ask that students serve the nonprofit sector - four hours each or 360 hours total - and also offer the Adopt A Family program as an additional class project. Typically, two students per class coordinate the entire class donation.

"'Many hands make quick work,' or in this case, 30 students can easily support a family of five," said Buschlen, who, with his wife, CMU Human Resources Director of Strategy and Organizational Development Amy McGinnis, contributed $100 to be divided among the three classes.

CMU Director of Admissions Betty Wagner, whose office adopted a seven-member family, said she and her staff members "decide each year how we might contribute to the community" and chose Adopt A Family this year, passing a donation envelope to raise funds to purchase the family's gifts and also collecting some additional gifts.

"We are all so very lucky to be employed by Central Michigan University when many in the state are without jobs," said Wagner. "Adopting a family gives us a chance to share our good fortune with others."

Jenna Frye, a CMU junior from Flushing, is the Volunteer Center's 2007 Adopt A Family coordinator.