We are actively preparing for the 2025 Adopt-a-Family program.



We thank you for all of your support last year!

What Our Adopters Say

Hear from families and individuals who have participated in our Adopt-a-Family program.

I run a Girl Scout troop and this will be our 3rd year participating. We started when the girls were in 2nd grade, and they'll be in 4th this year. When we met to plan out the upcoming year and I asked if they wanted to do it again, it was a very enthusiastic yes. They love going shopping, and I also just think it's a really good learning experience for them to have a budget and have to look at the prices of things and have to contemplate choices around 'need' versus 'want.' Thanks so much for facilitating this. I can't emphasize enough just how meaningful an experience it is for these kids. The fact that we're helping a local family is just a bonus!
— An adopting family in Oakland
This is a testimonial from Paulette who has been the developer of the site for the last 12 years and she's been very happy to be a part of the adult-to-family program for a long time now.
— A staff member in Oakland

How Family Adoptions Work

Through this ‘adoption’ process, low-income families are matched with a donor who purchases gifts and seasonal necessities for the family. The donor drops the gifts off at one of our centers in Alameda or Contra Costa County and we distribute the gifts to the adopted family. Last year approximately 275 families and nearly 1,000 family members had their holiday wishes fulfilled. Here’s what you’ll need to do to participate:

  1. Sign Up - all you need is an email address.

  2. Once the program opens for the season, choose a drop location from your accout page.

  3. Browse through the families available for adoption.

  4. Click the 'Adopt this Family' button once you find the family you would like to adopt.

  5. Complete the contact information form to finalize the adoption.

  6. Click 'Adopt' to receive a confirmation email.

  7. Purchase gifts.

  8. Drop your gifts off at your chosen drop location on your scheduled date.

  9. Have more questions? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Donate to Our Holiday Wishlist Instead?

Thank you for your interest in supporting our families during the holiday season. If you would like to support our families outside of an adoption, we need donations. This “Donation Only” option is available to anyone who wants to donate new, unwrapped toys and basic needs items to our families. Families also need gift cards to places such as grocery stores, gas stations, and popular retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Amazon. Visa gift cards are also appreciated so families can use them to help pay for essentials at local grocery stores and other shops.

The Google Sheet Wishlist provides more detail regarding popular items our families need. Some also have links to Amazon.

The concept is similar to completing an adoption. Click on "Donate to ORG Wish List" to review suggested items to donate. Once you have selected an item to donate, complete the "checkout" process by clicking the "donate" button. You can choose as many items as you like to donate. The quantity of items is your choice and does not need to be determined when signing up for the donation. You can choose a time and day from our available options to schedule a drop-off. Please contact aaf@brighter-beginnings.org if you have any questions.

Browse Wish List Items

Gift Drop Dates and Locations

Antioch

512 West 5th Street Antioch
Antioch, CA 94509

925-303-4780

Dec 10: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Dec 10: 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Dec 10: 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm

Dec 13: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Dec 13: 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Dec 13: 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm


Richmond

2727 Macdonald Ave
Richmond, CA 94804

510-236-6990

Dec 10: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Dec 10: 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Dec 10: 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm

Dec 13: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Dec 13: 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Dec 13: 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm


Oakland

2744 East 11th Street Suite H1
Oakland, CA 94601

510-437-8950

Dec 10: 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Dec 10: 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Dec 13: 9:30 am to 11:30 am

Dec 13: 11:30 am to 2:30 pm

Dec 13: 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm


About Our Gift Drive

Years ago, we realized that many of our client families were struggling during the holiday season. To address this need, we launched our Adopt-A-Family program, inviting community members and local companies to ‘adopt’ one or more families and purchase ‘gifts from the heart.’

How it works – Through this ‘adoption’ process, low-income families that are receiving services from Brighter Beginnings programs are matched with a donor who purchases gifts and/or gift cards and drops them off at one of our centers in Alameda or Contra Costa County. Last year approximately 308 families and nearly 1,000 family members had their holiday wishes fulfilled thanks to our generous donors.

About Brighter Beginnings

Brighter Beginnings believes every family matters and every child deserves to have a happy, healthy future. Our multi-cultural, bi-lingual staff of passionate and committed family-service professionals work within our closest Bay Area communities to support healthy births and the successful development of children by partnering with parents and helping to build strong communities. Our ultimate goal is to help parents with limited financial, support, and medical resources become self-sufficient so they can raise happy, healthy children. In return, we visualize a prospering community full of healthy and happy children who grow up to also be happy and self-sufficient parents.

Questions? Contact Us

aaf@brighter-beginnings.org

Brighter Beginnings Website

Richmond | 510- 236-6990

2727 Macdonald Ave, Richmond, CA, 94804

Antioch | 925-303-4780

512 West 5th Street, Antioch, CA, 94509

Oakland | 510-437-8950

2744 E 11th St Suite H1, Oakland, CA, 94601