The Holiday Help Program is here to support families residing in Union Country and parts of Northumberland and Montour counties. The Program is available to support children from all religions, cultures, and family structures. The Holiday Help Program has been designed to benefit families who don’t qualify for traditional programs but still need some assistance during the winter holidays with gifts for younger children. The Program has been serving our region since 1999 and continues to ensure that no child is forgotten. If you, or someone you know, if looking for some support this holiday season give us a call, or complete the registration information available HERE, and we will work with you to see if you qualify!

Qualifications:

The Holiday Help Program is only available to people who meet these qualifications:

  • Primary Guardian/ Child lives in Union, Northumberland, or Montour counties.
  • Child receiving gifts is between the ages of birth to 15 years old.
  • Meet the federal low/moderate income classifications according to current income.
  • Is not qualified or receiving support from another agency or service for Holiday Gifts.

How does it work?

  • Complete a Registration Form, outlining your child’s (or children’s) “wish list” which includes a few toys and any clothing the child might need. Submit the registration by the due date. We will then have our amazing donors get to work! Gifts will be available for curbside pickup during selected “appointment” times by mid-December.

Next Steps/ Registration:

  • Interested families must complete a very quick one-page Registration Form, per child. We will ask about any clothing or school needs the child may have and for a list of two or three toys or “wants” the child might have on their wish list. Please be detailed about colors, favorite characters, etc. Our shoppers will do their best to help your child’s dreams come true, but we make no guarantees!

We are unable to provide gift cards, cash gifts, electronics, media rated above the child’s age, food, large furniture items, or overly expensive gifts. Most gifts are around $75.

  • Pick up appointments must be scheduled, and a state issued photo ID will be required. Please don’t arrive unannounced.
  • Registration is due by the first Friday in November.
  • In the case of emergencies, we will consider late registrations. Emergencies should include major, unforeseen, life-altering events only.

Interested in being a donor?

  • Not all heroes wear capes! The success of the Holiday Help Program is completely thanks to our fantastic volunteers and donors who work tirelessly to ensure all children know they are loved. If you would like to join these heroes give us a call or send us an email! Volunteers are needed to help purchase clothes, toys, books and gift cards (for those last-minute emergencies) for families in need. Although we love our volunteers it is imperative that donors are never aligned with recipients therefore our Administrative Staff handle all interactions with our recipients and any documents with their names on it. However administrative help is often needed to organize and advertise for donors and to ensure everyone on our list gets their gifts!

Make a donation:

  • If you’d like to help but aren’t interested in shopping, we can still use your help! Donations can be made to Donald Heiter Community Center or DHCC.

Contact Information:

Mailing Address: Donald Heiter Community Center, 100 North Fifth Street, Lewisburg, PA 17837

Phone: 570-524-5000

Email: donaldheiter@gmail.com

 

FAQ’s:

  • Will my name be published as a gift recipient? NEVER nor will your child’s. Your child is referred to as a number and that number changes each you that you apply. We take your right to privacy very seriously.
  • Will the gifts we receive be used? All gifts you receive are new. They will have the tags on, although those tags will not allow you to return the items. If you need to do that you’ll need to reach out to our office and we will return them for you.
  • Why don’t you provide for children ages 16-18? This age group typically asks for gifts that are on our restricted list. We did pilot a two year program, shopping for children in this age group, but found that it was unsuccessful.
  • Do we wrap the gifts we donate? Our guardians love to wrap their children’s gifts. This gives them a sense of excitement to watch their child open gifts. When a gift is pre-wrapped often a guardian has anxiety about what might be inside. Additionally for safety reason, wrapped gifts will be unwrapped. All gifts are inspected for any visible quality issues before distributed.
  • Is gift purchasing tax deductible? IT SURE IS! Please submit your receipts and we will make sure to send you a letter for your taxes.
  • Can I deliver the gifts to the children myself and take a photo? ABSOLUTELY NOT! If you need a photo for business purposes, we totally understand and will set up a charitable photo op with our staff members however our recipients won’t be asked to do that. With that said we would love for you to shout out your charitable work for the program on social media!