Neighbors Helping Neighbors Since 1968

 

Holiday for Giving has been bringing the Wallingford community together for more than five decades.

Our story began in 1968, when the Wallingford Welfare Department and the Visiting Nurses Association joined forces with a simple goal: to help local families experiencing financial hardship enjoy a brighter holiday season.

​

That first year, 15 Wallingford families received assistance.

What started as a small community effort continued to grow year after year, fueled by the generosity of local residents, businesses, organizations, town departments, schools, and volunteers.

​

From 15 Families to Hundreds

 

During its first decade, Holiday for Giving operated from a variety of temporary locations throughout Wallingford. Our volunteers worked wherever space was available—sometimes without even having heat—because the mission was more important than the location.

​

In 1978, Holiday for Giving found a home at the Wallingford Grange Hall. By then, the program had grown to serve more than 150 local families, providing food and toys during the holiday season.

​

For 32 years, the Grange generously provided the space Holiday for Giving needed to collect donations, organize thousands of items, and distribute them to families.

​

By 2010, the program had grown again—this time to more than 300 Wallingford families—and we needed a larger home.

​

Holiday for Giving relocated to the Wallingford Parks & Recreation Department, where the additional space and tremendous community support allowed the program to continue growing and evolving.

​

Powered by Our Community

 

Today, Holiday for Giving remains a volunteer-driven community nonprofit supported by the generosity of Wallingford.

​

A dedicated core group of volunteers works throughout the year to plan, organize, fundraise, and prepare for the holiday season. When December arrives, many more community volunteers join us to sort food, organize toys and gifts, prepare our space, and help make our distribution days possible.

​

We are also grateful for the continued in-kind support of Wallingford Youth & Social Services, the Public Works Department, Wallingford Public Schools, and other community partners who help make our work possible.

​

Holiday for Giving is truly a community effort.

​

Individuals. Families. Schools. Clubs. Local businesses. Corporations. Town departments. Community organizations. Volunteers.

​

Each contributes something different, but together they accomplish something extraordinary.

​

The Tradition Continues

 

More than 50 years after 15 families received assistance during our very first holiday season, Holiday for Giving continues to serve hundreds of Wallingford families each year.

​

While our locations have changed and our program has grown, our purpose has remained remarkably simple:

​

Wallingford neighbors helping Wallingford neighbors.

​

Through donated food, toys, gifts, financial contributions, volunteer hours, and countless acts of generosity, our community comes together each year to make the holidays a little easier and a lot brighter for local families.

​

That is what we call Holiday Magic.

​

And it has been happening right here in Wallingford since 1968.