A few days before Christmas 2024, Lisa Agoba learned that a United Way of Greater Cincinnati partner organization had referred her family to the Adopt-A-Family program.
“That was a blessing,” said Lisa, who is 55 and lives in Colerain Township. “I’m thankful it was there for my family.”
Her family includes four adult children and 12 grandchildren. Lisa often helps care for the kids, who range from a newborn to a 15-year-old.
They were among 143 Greater Cincinnati families that received gifts through Adopt-A-Family. Families were referred to the program by 15 faith-based and community partners of United Way. Generous families, individuals and corporate groups shopped for gifts, which were distributed to recipient families by United Way partners.
Watching her grandchildren open gifts on Christmas, “I was so happy,” Lisa said. “They were so happy.
“The last couple of years have been really hard on us, health-wise,” she said. “I had to stop working due to my health. Trying to take care of kids, it was just really hard.”
Lisa, a state-tested nurse aide, stopped working because of complications from sickle cell anemia, an inherited blood disease. But she still helps care for her grandchildren. Among them: the children of a daughter who has been hospitalized frequently as she battles sickle cell as well as sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease; and the children of a daughter who attends classes at Northern Kentucky University.
“You just have to pull together and work together as a family,” Lisa said. “I’m glad I’m available to be there for them.”
And she’s thankful that Charles and Tracey Wiley of Let’s Get It Productions saw that her family could use some help during the holidays and referred them to Adopt-A-Family.
