About Us

Founded 25 years ago by a postal worker in Mount Dora, Florida, this organization continues to thrive.
James Gray noticed that some of the families on his route were suffering from hardships that made any Christmas gift giving impossible. So he and fellow postal workers purchased gifts with their own money and surprised the families with clothes, shoes and a toy to these very grateful families. And the legacy lives.

Today Adopt-a-Child for Christmas serves over 370 families - 800 children under the age of 14 – all recommended by school guidance counselors as needing help this Christmas. The organization is 100% volunteer, many of the volunteers having been associated with this organization for 20 years. Every penny donated goes back to providing gifts for the children. Even our building space is donated.

It is a labor of love by many in the community. And the community always responds be it published articles in the Orlando Sentinel, to Department stores like Kohl’s who donate staff members to help with the mountain of tasks, to the people of Lake County who each year donate enough money, clothes and toys to make the holiday season a total success. The areas served? Mount Dora, Eustis, Tavares, Umatilla, Sorrento and Astatula.

“Never let a child’s dream go unanswered’ was the motto of James Gray. It is ours today.