Program personalizes joy of giving
Monday, August 10, 2009 at 06:59 
Backpack of felt and leatherBy TAYLOR ASHLEY
DAYTONA BEACH -- Helping kids to be on equal footing on their first day of school was what members of the Daytona Beach Association of Realtors had in mind when they first sought to "adopt" 38 schoolchildren identified by the Children's Home Society.
Nineteen years later, the Adopt-A-Child program has expanded to 16 agencies and some 800 children, and includes not only backpacks and school supplies, but also new clothes and toiletries for each child.
It was through the Association's involvement in area home sales that the need was recognized within the community.
"There are many backpack programs but the unique quality of Adopt-A-Child is that all items are purchased specifically for an individual child," said Cyndi Parker with Professional Title Agency Inc., Daytona Beach. "Adopt-A-Child offers people the experience of shopping for a child instead of just donating money.
"All items are included in their new backpack, which normally reflects that child's favorite color, character or sport. The goal of Adopt-A-Child is to meet each child's individual need for that very important first day of school," Parker said.
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