Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center

VA employees delivered gifts to three families and two charitable organizations on Thursday. From left to right: Raegen Walter (Finance Service) and Karla Laduron (Medicine Service) presenting gifts to the Caring House employees Donna Fayas-Johnson and Sue Huotari.

Employees from the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain, Michigan, delivered holiday cheer and gifts to three families and two charitable organizations in the local community on Thursday, December 20.

The medical center has sponsored the holiday season Adopt-a-Family program since 1996, and since then over 100 families received holiday gifts through the generous donations of everyone involved.  This year the Caring House of Iron Mountain and the Almost Home Animal Shelter of Dickinson County were included as recipients.

“The Adopt-a-Family program has been very popular with employees, volunteers, patients and visitors at the VA Medical Center for the past seventeen years,” said Angela Finley, Adopt-a-Family coordinator at the medical center. 

The program is coordinated by the medical center’s Equal Employment Opportunity Committee, with support from the medical center’s Employee Association, and provides gifts for local families who are experiencing hardships due to illness, financial struggles and other unforeseen circumstances.  Holiday trees were decorated with Christmas gift tags listing items for families in need and displayed throughout the medical center for employees, volunteers and others to choose from.