Rehoboth Merrill Lynch spends big to adopt a family

Employees at Merrill Lynch in Rehoboth Beach display about $750 worth of gifts for a family the office adopted for the holidays.

Client Associate Rita Mahaffey said this is the fourth year employees adopted a family and the second year the office turned to Nancy Bradshaw, the homeless liaison for Cape Henlopen School District, to match them with a worthy recipient.  “The need is so big at the school,” Mahaffey said.

Merrill Lynch associates bought games, clothes and books for the family’s three young boys, and the boys’ single mother requested a special gift of her own – a microwave.

Besides items the needy family requested, Mahaffey said, employees pitched in and bought a $100 gift card to Food Lion.

Shown are (l-r) Lauren Fritz-Mariner, Steve Cooper, Kyle Ricker, Jamin Williams, Bob Sturgis, Nancy Herlihy, Ed McGehrin, Trey Hastings, Paula Sellers, Ryan Williamson, Rita Mahaffey, Josh Currence, Ron Miller and Jamie Gamuciello.