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That was the challenge for a band of merry elves at Together We Cope this past holiday, and we choose them for our Volunteer Spotlight honors in this edition. Led by Anne Brandt, these ladies did the shopping, sorting and bagging of gifts provided by Together We Cope in the annual Adopt a Family Christmas program. More than 1,000 youngsters in need were adopted by families, businesses, churches or organizations this holiday, with Together We Cope topping off most of the gift packages with warm clothing.

What was it like tackling such a gigantic shopping list? “Mostly, it was a lot of fun,” Anne said. “This is such a big project, and it gets bigger each year. I got more help this year, as we aimed to assist 1,000 needy children. I rounded up volunteers from other parts of Together We Cope, and we went to work in November.”    The shoppers met at Tinley Park’s Kmart and the shopping commenced. “The Kmart people know what we’re doing, and they were very helpful. So was Sox Outlet in Oak Forest. We filled four cars with our goods, and stored it all at my house for several weeks as we sorted and bagged,” Anne said, laughing as she recalled nearly every room of her home filled with warm clothing for the little ones. “This project always takes over my life, and my home, but it is very satisfying work. We always imagine, as we do this shopping, how it will delight the youngsters who open our packages on Christmas morning,” Anne said.

The next step was matching the hundreds of packages to the gifts coming in to Together We Cope for the adopted children. Anne found herself working at Together We Cope full-time for a couple of weeks during this period.  A volunteer at Together We Cope for three years, Anne typically works a few days a week in the food pantry and Sensible Shop as well as with the agency’s Easter, Christmas and Back to School projects. She is a retired speech therapist who worked in the public school system. She and her husband Richard, a retired engineer, have two children and four grandchildren. Volunteering is a shared love for the retired couple, as Richard donates his time and talent to Habitat for Humanity and PLOWS Council on Aging. They are avid hikers, cyclists and campers who enjoy traveling in the Midwest and seeing the natural beauty of the region.

Anne said she sought “something worthwhile and fun” to help fill her time in retirement, preferably with a child-centered program, and she certainly has created a niche for herself at Together We Cope. “The social workers I met when I was working in the public school system had used various services offered by Together We Cope, and they suggested I try volunteering there,” she said. “I am very glad I did, because I’ve met some of the most wonderful people in the world through this volunteer job and the work they do is so necessary. I am proud to be a part of it.”