Maybe you have heard of French Club’s crêpe days or their big Halloween party, but this holiday season, the club has even better things in store. 

On December 8, the club will be meeting to wrap presents for an “adopted” family as part of the The Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha’s Adopt a Family program. Eligible families can submit gift requests, and are matched to groups willing to help purchase Christmas gifts for the kids. In 2019, the Council presented over 1900 families and 4300 children in Waukesha County with Christmas presents. 

To participate in these efforts,  Madame Kosmider first contacts the Christmas Clearing Council, who sends a form on the year’s preferences (eg. the number and size of families that can be adopted) so the club can be matched to the family they can best accommodate. This year, it’s a family with 5 kids, and their wish lists include presents ranging from Legos to leggings. “It’s kind of like we’re sponsoring the family,” says one of the French Club leaders. 

Once they get in contact, a sign-up document compiling the wish lists is made and sent to French students, who are encouraged to sign up for the cause. The club then hosts a meeting to wrap the gifts, and a board member delivers them to the kids. 

There have been many families that the club has helped since their involvement in the program. These acts of kindness are a result of efforts from the entire club and can be enough to brighten a family’s holiday. 

Participating in the Adopt a Family program has become an annual French Club tradition. It serves as an important reminder that there are others who may not be as fortunate, and efforts to support them are worthwhile.