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Holiday Helpers Canada
Helping families at Christmas time...one family at a time.
Holiday Helpers is a volunteer-based non-profit organization that provides Christmas packages to low income families. We work with select "adopted" families to fulfill their personal Christmas wish lists, and make the holiday season memorable.
In the beginning...
In 1999, two sisters read in their local paper about a family who had lost everything in a fire just days before Christmas. Wanting to do more than just give money, April and Sarah Rutka canvassed their friends and families collecting used Christmas decorations and spare change to purchase the family an artificial tree.
In the years that followed, their spirits grew and they enlisted more good Samaritans to adopt more and more families each season. In 2010, Holiday Helpers donated Christmas packages to 154 families and 364 children throughout the greater Toronto area.
What does Holiday Helpers do?
Holiday Helpers provides a Christmas package to low income families. Many families are single-parent households, some are new to Canada and all are involved with subsidized agencies for daycare or other family aid. The parents (or sometimes guardian, grandparent, aunt, sister, brother) are all motivated to make a positive difference in their children’s lives. They sometimes work multiple jobs to make ends meet, attend school or even perform volunteer work of their own.
Each family receives:
- An artificial Christmas tree with all the trimmings, including lights, decorations and a tree topper
- A gift certificate to a local grocery store for a warm meal
- Personalized gifts from the families wish list, including warm jackets, clothing, household items and toys
The 2010 program had record success providing Christmas packages to 154 families. Over $60,000 was donated to the holiday cause, along with mountains of gifts, decorations and wrapping paper. Over 300 volunteers shopped, wrapped and delivered gifts. Each family was able to celebrate the season with a beautiful Christmas tree, a warm meal and a few special presents from their wish lists.
