The Vacation Serving to Hand program has practically doubled the variety of households it’s supporting from final 12 months
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been up to date to mirror essentially the most present greenback figures raised.
As households throughout Ontario put together for the vacation season, United Manner Halton and Hamilton’s Vacation Serving to Palms program hopes to make sure that each household has one thing to look ahead to by offering round $150,000 in monetary aid to 2,425 group members.
This system presents residents quite a lot of methods to offer again to their group and to assist to households in want, both by adopting a household to purchase presents for them, donating to a present drive or placing collectively vacation kits.
“The Helping Hand program really connects people in need in the community with holiday wish lists,” Kristen Jacob, Vice President of Advertising and marketing and Communications for United Manner Halton and Hamilton, stated. “Whether it’s adopting a family, volunteer opportunities or holiday kit packing, it’s a great way to bring some joy and cheer to some members of the community who are facing tough times this year.”
United Manner Halton and Hamilton works with organizations equivalent to Residence Suite Hope, The Girls’s Centre of Halton, the Attain Out Centre for Children and extra to supply the much less lucky with festive cheer or much-needed requirements.
Jacob spoke on the affect that receiving gadgets from a want record will be for a lot of households as occasions get more durable.
“It can be huge,” she stated. “This year, we’ve seen a doubling in the need of the community. We would normally expect to see things like toys or electronic items on wish lists, but this year we’re seeing a big need for basic necessities, food cards, gas cards and hygiene products. For a lot of people right now, these wish lifts and these gifts mean the world to them.”
The Vacation Serving to Hand program helps greater than 220 households this 12 months, practically doubling the 120 households chosen in 2023.
Regardless of the elevated want, United Manner Halton and Hamilton has discovered that the group remains to be enthusiastic about supporting their fellow households in want.
“Our community has stepped up like never before,” Jacob stated. “Every single family that signed up for Adopt A Family is being supported this year, so many workplaces and organizations have stepped forward to do kit packing with our staff to make sure they get to the agencies we support. It’s been unbelievable to see the amount of people coming out for this program.”
United Manner Halton and Hamilton additionally runs a group donation warehouse for company companions to let the group present their assist year-round.
