The holidays can be an extremely stressful time, but especially for those New York households barely meeting their basic needs. Luckily, there are many nonprofit organizations and programs offering Free Christmas Assistance Programs in New York for the 2022 holiday season.
To help, we’ve compiled a list of organizations and programs offering free Christmas gifts, toys, live trees, decorations, and holiday meals to low-income New York households.
We will also provide you with everything you need to know about how to register or apply for free Christmas gifts in 2022.
If you are in need and unable to provide your children with gifts this 2022 holiday season, there is help available to you. Continue reading to check our complete list of Free Christmas Assistance Programs in New York for 2022.
Free Christmas Assistance Programs in New York (2022 Guide)
If you and your family are struggling to meet your basic needs this holiday season, you may qualify for free Christmas toys and food in New York .
To qualify for one of the free Christmas Assistance Programs in New York , you must be a low-income New York resident. In addition, you must each organizations or programs requirements.
For a list of all the Free Christmas Assistance in New York for the 2022 holiday season, including registration and contact information, then continue reading below.
Free Christmas Gifts in New York – 2022
Below is a list of organizations offering Free Christmas Gifts for low income families in New York for the 2022 holiday season.
Grinchmas Christmas Toy Giveaway
Come visit the annual Grinchmas Pop-Up Shop and Toy Drive in Brooklyn, NY. They will have delicious food, vendors, children’s activities, and lots of toys to give away!
Children MUST be present in order to receive a present from the toy drive! Only one present per child.
You must pre-register to receive free Christmas toys and gifts.
For event information and how to register, see the details below:
Event Date & Time
Saturday, December 3, 2022
2:00PM
Event Location
Viv Lavi
448 Wilson Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11221
Event Registration
To register, visit their Eventbrite page.
New York Cares Winter Wishes Gift Giveaway
Each year, children and teens from agencies all over the city send New York Cares their holiday wish.
Each wish is matched with a wish granter who will purchase and send their gifts directly to the agency for distribution.
In order to receive a free gift through the New York Cares Winter Wishes Program, you must submit an application.
You must pre-register to receive free Christmas toys and gifts.
For information and how to apply, see the details below:
Program Application
To apply, visit their website and submit an application.
For more information, please email winter.wishes@newyorkcares.org.
HolidayMania Christmas Gift Giveaway
New York State of Mind (NYSoM) is hosting their annual HolidayMania Gift Giveaway for the 2022 holiday season.
All free Christmas gifts are given away on a first come, first served basis.
No registration is required for the gift giveaway.
One gift per adult or adult with a child.
Santa will be available for a meet and greet from 3-6pm.
For event information and how to register, see the details below:
Event Date & Time
Saturday, December 17, 2022
2:00PM – 6:00PM
Event Location
East Harlem Tutorial Program
2050 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10029
Event Registration
To register, visit their Eventbrite page.
Be an Elf Free Toy Program
Be an Elf is a nonprofit organization that helps underprivileged children receive gifts during Christmas. The organization helps families write letters to Santa through the USPS Operation Santa® Program.
Individuals can then adopt real letters and send gifts directly to the children in-need who wrote them. There’s no middle man or charity, it’s direct from the donor to a child.
Many letters are written by kids and Moms who ask only for “a warm coat for my 5 year old,” “new shoes, size 6,” or other basic necessities.
Volunteers at Christmas may mail their gifts directly to children who need a brighter Christmas.
If your family is struggling financially, this is a great option on how you might be able to get some extra Christmas gifts for your kids.
Click here to find out how to get free Christmas gifts for your family.
The deadline for the 2022 holiday season is December 10, 2022.
Free Christmas Gifts for Low Income Families in New York – 2022
If you are struggling purchase Christmas gifts or toys for your children this 2022 holiday season, there are several national nonprofit organizations that offer Christmas assistance programs in New York .
Check out our list of national organizations offering help with free Christmas toys and gifts this 2022 holiday season.
Toys for Tots
Since 1947, the Marine Toys for Tots has been bringing the joy and hope of Christmas to America’s less fortunate children.
In New York , there are several Toys for Tots programs that can help provide your child with a new gift this holiday.
How to Apply for Free Toys in New York
If you would like to receive free Christmas toys from Toys for Tots this 2022 holiday season, you must apply for the program.
To apply for free gifts, follow the steps below:
- Visit the Toys for Tots website.
- Click “Find a Local Campaign” from the top menu.
- Select New York from the state dropdown menu.
- Choose your New York City or Countt from the menu.
- Once you are on the County or City Toys for Tots page, click the red “Apply for Toys” button located at the top of the page.
- Follow the Application Instructions listed on the page to apply for free Christmas toys in New York.
Salvation Army Angel Tree Program
The Salvation Army may be one of the most-popular organizations for holiday assistance. That’s because they provide a variety of services to those in need during the holiday season.
This year, Walmart and the Salvation Army are teaming up again for the The Angel Tree program. The program provides new clothing and toys to more than one-million children and families in local communities each year.
Once a child is accepted for the Angel Tree Program, donors can shop from the family’s Christmas wish list. Once the gifts are received, The Salvation Army will distribute them to the family just in time for Christmas morning.
If your family would like to apply for Angel Tree assistance for Christmas 2022, you will need to contact your local Salvation Army.
Submit your 2022 Angel Tree Application here.
Click here to find a local Salvation Army near you.
United Way Free Christmas Assistance Program
If you live in New York and are looking for food and/or gift assistance this 2022 holiday season, the United Way can help.
The United Way is partnering with several local organizations to provide free holiday meals and Christmas toys to low income families this holiday season.
To learn more about all the free Christmas assistance being offering for 2022, click here to visit the United Way of New York website.
If you’re searching for Christmas help near you, apply with one of the local charity organizations listed below.
You can also contact the United Way’s 2-1-1 Service for holiday assistance. Dial 2-1-1, text your zip code to 898-211, or visit the 2-1-1 Website to chat.
Operation Homefront Holiday Toy Drive
Operation Homefront’s Holiday Toy Drive helps bring holiday cheer to military families. For over a decade, they’ve partnered with Dollar Tree to provide military families with support during the holiday season.
Dollar Tree stores take toy donations, typically in November and December to help make the holidays brighter for our military families. In 2019, over 1,000 military children received toys from our Holiday Toy Drive.
To participate, start by registering for an Operation Homefront account. When you are eligible for the event, it will appear on your Account Dashboard. Once the event appears in your dashboard, you can register to attend and get help.
To learn more, visit their website at operationhomefront.org.
Free Christmas Food Assistance – 2022
If you are facing hunger this holiday season, there is help available to you. Please contact or visit your local New York food bank for free food and hot meals. They can provide you with free holiday meals, holiday food boxes, hot dinners, and more.
Below is a list of local organizations offering free Christmas meals in New York for the 2022 holiday season:
Free Christmas Trees in New York for 2022
The Christmas Tree Project is a nonprofit organization that saw an opportunity to help bring the Christmas spirit to families in need.
Their mission is to provide fully decorated Christmas trees to thousands of families who cannot afford them on their own.
Today, they are one of the largest organizations providing free Christmas trees to low-income families during the holiday season.
Although they are based out of Colorado, they give away trees across the country – including New York.
Click here to Request a Free Christmas Tree for 2022.
Free Christmas Assistance Programs in New York Summary
We hope this guide on the programs and organizations offering Free Christmas Assistance Programs in New York for the 2022 holiday season was helpful to you.
We will continue to update this post as more programs for free Christmas toys and meals in New York are announced.
If you found this information helpful and think someone would benefit from it, please share this post.
For questions or comments regarding the information we’ve provided, please let us know in the comments section below.
In the meantime, be sure to check out our other articles:
Free Thanksgiving Dinner in New York (2022 Guide)
NYC: Free Turkey Giveaways and Thanksgiving Meals for 2022
New York EBT Card Discounts
Free Admission with NY EBT
How to get a Free Phone with NY Food Stamps
Extra Food Stamps in New York for November 2022