This year we adopted four families through Good Neighbor Center (GNC) of Washington Country. We are so happy to report that all four of these families were able to get into permanent housing with the assistance of GNC. They are starting to get back on their feet and feeling a sense of security.
“Every year, Good Neighbor Center does our best to have our former residents at the shelter adopted for Christmas,” says GNC Program Manager Allie Alexander. “These families have experienced homelessness in the past year and some of them have been homeless for years. Many of our families became homeless because they lost their jobs or experienced a major health issue that used up all of their savings.”
In addition, we had tags on our tree that employees could take to purchase presents for these families. We are so proud of our employees’ generosity – almost every tag was taken from the tree! Any tags that weren’t selected by employees, Reitmeier purchased.
As a result, we donated over 50 wrapped gifts (An extra “thank you” to Virlynda for wrapping ALL of them!) Our team delivered them to GNC the shelter on December 11th for their Christmas Party on the 18th!
“Although they are now stable, many of our families are usually still struggling to make ends meet, says Alexander. “Many of our families have never had a Christmas and would not be able to have one without the support of our donors. Reitmeier goes above and beyond to adopt 4 families!”
“We had a Christmas Party on the 11th with food, treats, Christmas carolers, and Santa. I cannot convey to you how excited the families and children were. The parents were so humbled by the support and generosity of your team. For many, this will be their first time opening wrapped gifts on Christmas. It may seem small to some, but it completely changes the Holiday season for our families. We appreciate your continued support for our families! It truly has a lasting impact.”
As a Team, Reitmeier helped provide four families an AWESOME Christmas. It feels really good to provide for people getting back on their feet again.
About The Good Neighbor Center
Good Neighbor Center (GNC) has been sheltering homeless families since 1999. With nine-bedroom units, a dining room, day room, a fenced outside yard and a commercial kitchen – they can house between 70 to 95 families annually. They provide housing for six weeks (or more), hot meals, hygiene, clothing, housing assistance and resume/job-seeking services. They are the largest of the three family homeless shelter programs in Washington County. Their mission is to provide safe emergency housing with supportive empowering services for families. The GNC relies on the help of volunteers/donations to meet the many needs of the families living at the shelter.