Rock Island, Ill - It took only eight working days for employees of Army Contracting Command -- Rock Island to gather its collective goodwill, but it could very well have a life-long impact on one Quad City area family.
Approximately 50 percent of the ACC-RI workforce participated in the 11th annual adopt-a-family project, which ran between Nov. 30 and Dec. 9. Organizers received cash and goods valuing $1,400 that will go to the family, including one ACC-RI family's donation of two new dressers valued at $500.
According to Lisa Lawson, a procurement technician and the adopt-a-family chairperson, this was the best year ever for collections.
What began as a $10 gift exchange between employees 11 years ago has blossomed into a philanthropic venture just in time for Christmas.
"We just thought, what do any of us need or want for $10 that we don't just go buy?" asked Lawson. "We decided to help out those less fortunate."
The gift and monetary donations from the workforce enabled the organizers to not only purchase all items on the family's wish list, but additional items as well, said Mary Adams, a branch chief in the Ammunition Division.
"We are so blessed to have a job and to not really be in the situation of needing anything in particular for ourselves, to give back to the community is especially important for the people here," said Adams.
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