Affton Chamber Gives Helping Hand to 8 Local Families

For the 15th year, the Affton Chamber of Commerce and its members gave a helping hand to families living in the 63123 ZIP code.

In 2012, eight families were adopted by members and residents. It is estimated  they spent more than $4,000 to fill the wish lists of the families. In addition, the Chamber received more than $1,000 in cash donations from members, from its Silent Auction at a November Trivia Night. The chamber budgets money each year for the program.

This year it helped 11 adults and 24 children in the eight families referred by Chamber member churches and schools. The families referred to the Chamber all experienced some setback during the year, such as large medical bills or the breadwinner’s loss of a job.

The adopted families received many of the items on their wish list which they had provided to the churches and schools when they had asked for help. To that, the chamber added gift cards purchased from grocery and discount stores that are Affton Chamber members.

The names of the families are kept in confidence, shared only with the chamber members delivering the gifts. The families are very appreciative and many send thank you notes to the chamber, which are shared anonymously with board members, businesses and residents who adopted the families. In many years, some of the parents remark that without all the gifts for the children, there would be nothing under their Christmas tree.