Holiday Hampers and Adopt-A-Family Programs in Vancouver
byAs the holiday season approaches, it’s time to reflect on the spirit of giving. This year, consider making a meaningful impact on those in our Metro Vancouver community by donating to programs such as Holiday Hampers and Adopt-a-Family which support families, individuals, and seniors in need of assistance.
Some helpful options include sponsoring a family and donating holiday hampers, ensuring everyone gets to experience the joy the holidays bring with gifts and food. Deadlines for participation are in November and early December so be sure to leave lots of time to sign up and make your contribution. Thank you for your support!
Holiday Hampers and Adopt-A-Family
Programs in Metro Vancouver
Surrey Christmas Bureau
Adopt-a-Family Program
What you provide: A food hamper for Christmas Day that includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as age-appropriate gifts for each child of the family you are matched with. Grocery gift cards can be also be purchased in lieu of the food hamper.
Details: The Surrey Christmas Bureau matches individuals and businesses with a family in need with a child under 18 during the holiday season. Hamper and gift delivery should be no later than December 18th, unless otherwise arranged with the family. View guidelines and complete the sponsor application form.
Covenant House
Backpack Campaign
What you provide: A backpack filled with much needed items for youth ages 16 to 24.
Details: Backpacks will be gifted during the Covenant House holiday party, drop-off for donation until December 13th. A list of top needed items can be found here.
Caring Calendar
What you provide: Make the holidays a little brighter by sponsoring an item or activity for youth ages 16 to 24.
Details: The Caring Calendar program provides youth in Covenant House care with an activity or item each day from December 1st to 25th. View the calendar of live events to see what youth are looking forward to this year.
Burnaby Community Services
Burnaby Christmas Bureau
What you provide: The Toy Room and Seniors Hamper Program helps many low income families and seniors over the holiday season. Donate a new gift for children aged newborn to 16 years old or purchase grocery gift cards to help seniors in need.
Details: A wish list of ideas for donating gifts to the Toy Room Program can be viewed here. Drop-off gifts for the Toy Room between November 1st and December 21st. For additional details about helping seniors, click here. Drop-off grocery gift cards by December 6th.
Family Services North Shore
Christmas Bureau Family Sponsors
What you provide: Make a donation, drop-off an in-kind donation or support a family or individual in need with a holiday gift basket or gift card. Sponsors are matched a neighbour in need via registration.
Details: The Christmas Bureau serves children aged 0 to 18 and provides a Wish List for tweens/teens as they are often harder to buy for. Gift baskets can be filled with new, unwrapped toys, personal items and gift cards. Basket assembly and delivery will be provided in an information package after registration.
Holiday Hampers and Adopt-A-Family
Programs in Metro Vancouver
CityReach Care Society
Boxes of Love
What you provide: A cash donation provides a Box of Love for a family which includes gifts for each child, grocery gift cards and a month’s worth of food support. Additionally, each family is invited to attend a family fun day filled with various crafts, cookie-decorating and other festive activites.
Details: A donation of $200 support a whole family across all three initiatives and any amount helps ensure each family is feed through the winter. Donate online to help contribute.
Face of Today
Holiday Hampers
What you provide: Help a family in need by sponsoring a holiday hamper or by purchasing gift cards.
Details: This year the Face of Today Foundation has set a fundraising goal of providing 100 holiday hampers valued at $500 each. Each hamper gives a family the opportunity to cook a holiday meal, buy presents and to strengthen family connections by making memories. Each sponsor (and family) will be invited to the annual hamper stuffing event on November 24th.
YWCA
Presents of Peace
What you provide: Sponsorship includes gifts for each family member and a grocery gift card. Donation amount depends on the size of the family you wish to sponsor.
Details: Gifts for your families should always be new and can either be wrapped or provide your family with gift wrap and bows so parent may wrap them. Grocery gift cards should be a minimum of $150, add $50 per additional child in the family. Families and sponsors will be matched starting November 10th. Registration to sponsor is now open.
Westcoast Family Centres
Sponsor a Family
What you provide: Sponsors can choose to help a family in need by cash donation, purchasing items on the Westcoast Family Centres Amazon Wishlist or sponsoring a holiday hamper filled with new gift items.
Details: Fill out an application to sponsor a family via the Holiday Hamper Form. Gifts range between $30-$50 per family member, details on how to build your hamper once matched with a family. Drop-off hampers by December 6th.
PLEA
Holiday Hampers
What you provide: Sponsor a holiday hamper for families in need, filled with treats, new gifts for children as well as non-perishable food items. Hampers cost around $100 per family.
Details: PLEA helps over 100 families across the Lower Mainland in need over the holiday season. Online donations can be made here.
Deltassist
Low-income Delta families, individuals, and seniors are eligible to register for Christmas programs starting November 4th, 2024. Deltassist Christmas programs include Food Hampers and Toy Depot.
Battered Women’s Support Services
By sponsoring a BWSS Holiday Hamper, you can support a family in several ways:
- Food & Care Hamper (Each family receives a hamper): Provides food and personal care items for the families, valued at about $500.
- Wish List Gifts (Each women and child receives a gift): Supporting individual wish list items, ranging from $50–$200.
- Full Family Sponsorship: Covering all holiday needs, including a complete hamper and wish list gifts gifts to fully support a family this season.
You may either purchase the items yourself (you’ll be provided the list) or donate financially, whichever best suits your holiday schedule. BWSS works with women in various family structures matching each sponsor to a family based on the sponsor’s capacity. No matter the size of your contribution, your support will bring warmth and joy to a woman’s holiday season. Please note: Hampers must be delivered to Battered Women’s Support Services by Monday, December 9, 2024. This gives each woman enough time to pick up her hamper and make her holiday special.
This list will be updated throughout the season. Do you know of additional Adopt-a-Family or Holiday Hamper programs around Metro Vancouver? Please send us a note and we can include it in the list. Thank you!
