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What Happens when your "Adobt a Family for the Holidays" owns a Big Home on the Golf Course?

I guess if life has taught me anything is that expect the unexpected. Well this year our choice for our "adopt a family" has lived up to the unexpected. Every year my wife's whole family and I adopt a family for Christmas. Instead of buying ourselves gifts we seek out a needy family each year who is struggling and we give them and their kids a good Christmas. We buy all the children nice clothes, gifts, gifts certificates for groceries, the whole nine yards. It always brings a big tingle in my belly when we do this each year.

However, my tingle in my belly turned to a bad stomach pain when we found out that the family we choose this year is really not that needy. At last moment, we found out that the family drives very expensive cars, lives in a gated golf community and has a lot more to be thankful for than myself.

How do these folks think that someone should be giving them a "Free" Christmas. We did decide to pass on this family and have re-selected a family who is struggling this year and can really use the help.

Posted by Gary Miljour - Mortgage Lending for Tempe Arizona on 12/13/2008 07:21 PM

Comments (7)

holidays gone wild, christmas gone wrong

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7 Comments on What Happens when your "Adobt a Family for the Holidays" owns a Big Home on the Golf Course?

DEC

Gary, we adopted a family about 30 years ago and were very surprised to find that they had a very nice home with a nine foot tree with more presents around it than any of us had under our tree. The woman answered the door wearing diamonds.

This was supposed to be a family who needed presents for foster children. Well, we dropped the presents off but never volunteered for that again. When the family you're giving to has more than you do, it just doesn't feel right.

Gary... that is incrfedibly awesome in what you and your family do each year... but curious, how do you come across these families? And how did this one come across your paths? That kind of stuff makes me sick to my stomach also... but again, this is great, in regards to what you do during the hilidays... thanks for sharing.

jeff belonger

Maria,

Thanks for sharing your experience, I guess there are other folks out there that are looking for hand outs for the holidays. It really makes me sick that someone would even have the nerve to sign themselves up for this help.

Jeff- What can I say St. Vincent De Paul can pick the winners.

Thanks for the comment.

DEC

Good God Gary! My first rwactionw as, "Are you kidding me?" I read that and almost got sick. I know people are having tough times, but some families have choices where many do not. What you did and what you are doing is fantastic and has to bring your family incredible joy.

Our office has adopted a family every year for the last 8 years and it has always been someone who definitely needed the help. We found them through the local food bank,local churches and the local schools. It is sad that there are some out there who don't understand what they do to others who are truly in need when this type of things happen. Hopefully some day they will see the light and give instead of trying to take.

If they use other peoples money for their Christmas, then they can afford the nice house and cars. They probably get public assistance also. They know how to work "the system" to their benefit. It is not right, but many people do it.

Bo- I felt the same way as you. We all are having tough times but sometimes we need to be fortunate for what we have.

Valerie- I guess some folks just do not know the true meaning of Christmas.

John- You commented, "They know how to work "the system" to their benefit. It is not right, but many people do it".

This is the reason we are in the situation we are in right now. Nobody wants to take some personal responsibility for their lives. I overspent on my house and cars and can't afford Christmas, I will just get some family to donate that to me. This is pathetic and sad all at the same time.

Thank you all for the comments.

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