Katie Gebert, Office Manager for Lombardo Homes St. Louis, contributed to this story.
The Lombardo Homes St. Louis team is excited to give back this holiday season by adopting two families in need as part of our annual adopt-a-family charity. Our team has been adopting families in need during the holiday season since 2013.
All Lombardo Homes St. Louis employees are invited to participate, as well as vendors and the Lombardo Homes Trade Partners Council. This year, our team is inviting Lombardo Homes St. Louis customers, homeowners, and the surrounding community to get involved, as well.
The St. Louis team adopted a family in 2013 and 2014, but our tremendous success and participation in those years encouraged us to adopt an additional family this year. Both are single-parent households with small children in need of assistance with utility bills, winter clothing, and various household items.
In 2013 and 2015, our team found our families in need through United Way of Greater St. Louis. United Way compiles a list of the 100 Neediest cases in St. Louis, which are identified from thousands of families in need by more than 70 social service agencies. Several cases are sent to us for review, and team members decide which family to adopt for the holiday season from those cases.
This is a task that is never easy, as all of the stories we read pull at our heartstrings.
In 2014, however, our team took a personal route and helped a single mother and her 5-year-old daughter, who was battling cancer. A former Lombardo Homes St. Louis team member knew this family through Dana’s Dream, the organization he founded in memory of his own daughter who passed away from cancer at age 25. Our team hand-delivered gifts, toiletries, and gift cards to provide assistance with groceries. Santa even paid a visit!
Each year that we do this provides such a humbling experience and serves as a reminder to never take anything for granted. We are all so fortunate in our own way… if we can help lessen the burden for at least one family, then we have succeeded both individually and as an organization.
We invite the St. Louis community to donate clothing, toiletries, household necessities, or non-perishable food. Gift cards and cash/check donations are also accepted. Donations must be dropped off at one of the Lombardo Homes decorated displays by Tuesday, December 15. For more information, please contact me by email or by phone at 636-265-2710, extension 109.
