United Way's Holiday Helping Hand Program Is Underway for the 2026 Holiday Season

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The United Way Golden Horseshoe has launched its annual Holiday Helping Hand program, inviting residents, businesses and community groups to help local families facing financial strain this holiday season.

What Happened

According to FM101 Milton Now, the United Way Golden Horseshoe (UWGH) has opened registration for its 2026 Holiday Helping Hand initiative, which connects donors with people across Halton, Hamilton and Niagara who need extra support over the holidays. The organization says its funded agency partners have identified 236 families, representing 775 individuals, who need help this year, and its goal is for each of those families to be adopted by a donor. UWGH is led by President and CEO Brad Park.

Key Details

• Adopt a Family: donors provide children's gifts and grocery gift cards for a holiday meal, matched to the donor's budget, with wish lists provided at registration (offered in Halton and Hamilton)

• Host a Gift Drive: collect new toys, stocking stuffers, gift cards and other requested items

• Build Kits: assemble baby supply, household basics, Period Promise, hygiene and senior care kits, as well as holiday stockings

• Volunteer: help sort donations, wrap gifts and prepare holiday activities

• Registration closes at midnight on Friday, December 4

• Drop-off at the UWGH Donation Warehouse in Burlington on December 7 or 8, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., by advance appointment

Community Impact

The program is designed to keep gifts and donations local, supporting participating community agencies and the families they serve. Organizers note a few rules meant to keep the process smooth and secure: gifts should be new and unwrapped, online orders should be shipped to the donor's own home or workplace rather than directly to the United Way, and gift cards should include the original purchase receipt to help prevent fraud. For Milton residents looking for a way to give back close to home, the program offers several options to fit different budgets and schedules.

Background

Holiday Helping Hand is a long-running United Way initiative. Residents can find registration details and the full list of ways to help at uwgh.ca/events/holiday-helping-hand/.

Source Credit

Source: FM101 Milton Now

Original source link: https://www.miltonnow.ca/2026/11/05/140025/

Disclaimer

This article is a rewritten summary based on publicly available information. Milton Baithak does not claim ownership of original source reporting. For corrections or removal requests, please contact Milton Baithak.