Eighty-seven needy families in the Calumet Region had a merrier Christmas thanks to St. Margaret Mercys Adopt A Family program, supported by the Dyer and Hammond hospital employees, volunteers, medical staff, executives and vendors.
The Adopt A Family program, having just completed its 23nd consecutive year, allows departments or groups of friends throughout the hospital to adopt a needy family. Employees receive information about their adopted familys needs, which may include clothes, toys for children and a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.
The hospitals Mission Integration Committee identifies needy families with the assistance of several area service organizations. Families are assigned to participating departments in November.
A week before Christmas, employees bearing wrapped gifts, boxes of food and other donations congregated in both the Dyer Campus auditorium and the Hammond Campus cafeteria for a prayer service and blessing of the gifts. Residents of the Journey Unit led the singing of Christmas carols in Dyer; while hospital employees led the singing in Hammond.
Immediately following the blessing, employees delivered the gifts directly to their adopted families. The day's ice and snow bore little effect on the timely delivery.
Citizens Savings Bank, Lake Surgical Associates, Hyre Electric and Whiting Masonic Lodge also participated in the program this year.
It is traditional at Christmas time to make provisions for the needy, said Tom Gryzbek, president of St. Margaret Mercy, in a written news release. Each December we have such excitement and waves of generosity leading up to this event. Employees work to inspire each other to make Christmas a day of love and hope for these families. It is St. Margaret Mercys way of saying 'Merry Christmas' to the community.
- For The Times
