Holiday Hope

The greatest gift isn’t what’s inside a box, it’s the power to choose.

Holiday Hope is Durham’s signature community-giving campaign, led by the Durham Children’s Aid Foundation in partnership with Durham Children’s Aid Society Together, we’re re-imagining how the community supports children, youth, and families during the holidays – with dignity, belonging, and joy.

The Holiday Hope Shop

For decades, Holiday Hope has brightened the season for children and youth across Durham Region. In 2025, the program has been re-imagined, bringing new meaning to giving. Families supported by Durham Children’s Aid Society will visit the Holiday Hope Shop a bright, welcoming space where caregivers personally select gifts for their children at no cost, surrounded by dignity, belonging, and community warmth.

When caregivers feel supported and have the power to choose, children experience stability, confidence, and love. The joy remains, it’s simply deeper, shared, and lasting. By giving families choice, donors transform generosity into empowerment and ensure every child feels celebrated.

Ways to get involved:

Shop for a Child or Youth – Choose the age and gender you’d like to support and use our wish list for inspiration.
Donate – Every $50 fills a shelf with toys, essentials, and hope for local families.
Host a Drive – Rally your workplace, club, or school to collect new gifts or gift cards.
Volunteer with Wrap for Hope – Join us at the Oshawa Centre (Dec 1–24) to wrap gifts and raise funds.

Learn More or Give Today

About Us. Together We Thrive

Improving lives and opening doors for children, youth, and families across Durham Region. Durham Children’s Aid Foundation is a registered charity that partners closely with Durham Children’s Aid Society to raise funds and deliver high-impact programs that provide stability, opportunity, and hope. We are not a provider of protection services; we serve as the fundraising and community engagement partner supporting children, youth, and families in care, kinship, and post-care arrangements.

Mission: We raise funds and build partnerships to help children, youth, and families in Durham Region thrive. Working closely with Durham Children’s Aid Society, we provide access to education, camps, and healing programs that honour diversity and strengthen families, giving every child the opportunity to flourish.

Vision: A community in which every child, youth, and family thrives in happiness, surrounded by opportunity and unwavering support.

Core Belief: Every child deserves hope, love, and a future full of promise. Our work is grounded in the belief that strong communities create strong futures. Together, we open doors to possibility, because together, we thrive.

Key Program Areas

Our programs are organized under three strategic funds, each addressing a core need within the child welfare community.

1. Basic & Emergency Support Fund

This fund supports immediate needs and promotes family stability by providing essentials and crisis-response services. It helps ensure access to clothing and hygiene products, daycare and school supplies through initiatives like Operation Backpack, holiday giving and seasonal programs such as Holiday Hope, emergency food and shelter, transportation and one-time financial assistance, and start-up or ongoing supports for kinship and foster families. We gratefully accept new clothing donations throughout the year to help stock our Clothing Program. These contributions ensure that children and youth have access to high-quality essentials that promote dignity, comfort, and confidence.

Learn More or Donate Items

2. Education & Empowerment Fund

This fund invests in the long-term success of children and youth by promoting education, personal growth, and independence. It provides educational bursaries for youth in care and post-care, tutoring and access to technology, support for school-related expenses, summer camps and recreation programs such as the Ski Club, life-skills and leadership development, and transition supports to help youth build stable, independent futures. If you’d like to donate or partner with us to create a bursary for youth, please contact Leslie McLean.

Connect About Bursary Opportunities

3. Trauma-Informed Care & Safety Fund

This fund strengthens safety and healing for children, youth, and caregivers who have experienced or are at risk of trauma. It focuses on prevention and intervention related to human trafficking and gender-based violence, offering trauma-informed counselling, therapeutic supports, safe housing, caregiver education, and advocacy for survivors.

Donate to Support These Programs

Our impact is made possible by the generosity of our community. Each year, we recognize those who go above and beyond to support children, youth, and families through the Durham Children’s Aid Foundation Awards.

Nominate a Volunteer or Community Partner for a Durham Children’s Aid Foundation Award

We’re now accepting nominations for the 2025 Durham Children’s Aid Foundation Awards, celebrating the people and partners who make our work possible. The Sharon Clark Volunteer of the Year Award honours an outstanding volunteer whose compassion and dedication reflect the legacy of Sharon’s Kids and our Holiday Hope program, while the Heart of the Community Awards recognize donors, companies, and community groups whose generosity strengthens the mission of the Durham Children’s Aid Foundation.

View the Sharon Clark & Heart of the Community Awards Details (PDF)

Together, we help every child and youth in Durham Region thrive.

Holiday Hope is led by the Durham Children’s Aid Foundation

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