Help make the holidays brighter for our Maine neighbors. Many individuals Spurwink works with have barriers that impact their holiday celebrations. By donating gift cards, you make the holidays brighter and bring joy to others.
Below is an example of how your donation makes an impact from the Bigelow program, a residential treatment program for adults with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
The holidays are complex and often bring up difficult memories, and usually, this is the first sober holiday season for our clients. While they are proud of themselves, they are frequently unsure of how to celebrate, and many do not have positive natural support from their families or friends. The staff at Bigelow work hard to create a festive and fun holiday atmosphere by having clients decorate their rooms, taking trips to the holiday light displays, and enjoying a big family-style holiday meal together. They pride themselves on providing meaningful and personalized gifts for each individual. You’d be surprised by the number of adults in their 40s and 50s who tell them they can’t remember the last time they got a holiday gift and how incredibly grateful they are for the program.
Sarah Emerson, Associate Director of Bigelow, shares more: “We work hard to personalize our gifts and advocate for the importance of everyone having the chance to celebrate the holiday no matter how old they are. We asked each client to identify something they need, want, and would enhance one of their positive hobbies. We then take those lists, go shopping, and look for the perfect item that we know they would love but also fits our budget. We ensure that each client has an equal number of gifts wrapped under the tree, and on Christmas morning, all the clients and staff will join in the living room and open their stockings and presents together, just like you or I might have done as a kid. The smiles on their faces are something you won’t forget. The gratitude for being able to open a physical gift and that someone thought about them getting something that they would appreciate and utilize is contagious. Clients remember these moments the most after they have left the program. It keeps our clients motivated to continue doing the hard work in the program because when they see their lives start to change and positive things happen that they never thought possible, they are excited to keep working.”
Please note donations to the holiday gift card drive will impact all of our programs at Spurwink, including children, youth, and adults.
Suggested gift cards include:
- Amazon
- Walmart
- Reny’s
- Target
- Bull Moose
- Newbury Comics
- Dunkin Donuts Gift Cards
If you’d like to participate you can drop off or mail gift cards to:
Spurwink
Attn: Advancement
901 Washington Avenue
Suite 100
Portland, ME 04103
You also have the option to donate online via the form below through December 11th.
Thank you for helping to make the holidays a little brighter for our neighbors.
