Referral Partner Tool Kit
Simple tools and tips to make every referral smooth — for you and the families you serve.
Welcome, Partner Organizations
As a trusted partner of Holiday Helpers, you play a vital role in connecting families with the support they need this holiday season. This toolkit is designed to make the referral process as simple and straightforward as possible — from understanding who qualifies for the program to submitting a strong application on a family's behalf. Below, you'll find everything you need: eligibility criteria, application guidelines, tips for writing a compelling Family Profile, and answers to common questions. If you have a family in mind who could benefit from Holiday Helpers, we're glad to have you on this journey with us.
Please Note: Referrals must come from an approved partner organization. Families cannot be added directly — if you're a family looking for support, please contact an organization you're currently working with.
Who Qualifies for Holiday Helpers
To participate in the Holiday Helpers program, a family should meet the following criteria:
- Household income — Gross family household income below $35,000. Special considerations will be made for families with three or more children.
- Housing status — Does not own their home or currently reside with family who own their own home.
- Age of children — Has at least one child under the age of 10. Holiday Helpers will always help children between 11 and 17 by providing wishlist items, but the program's focus is on families with younger children.
- Caregiver progress — The primary caregiver is actively working toward improving the family's circumstances, and can show proof of at least one of the following: employment, enrollment in school or a skill-training program, participation in a work-placement program, active job search, participation in (or recent completion of) an in-house counselling program, or volunteering, mentoring, or training.
- Program history — Has not been sponsored by Holiday Helpers in the previous 5 years.
Before you refer: Please make every effort to confirm a family hasn't already received support from Holiday Helpers Canada within the past 5 years — this is the most common reason applications are rejected, and confirming eligibility upfront helps our elves reach as many families as possible.
Setting Expectations with Families
Before submitting a referral, please take a moment to set clear expectations with the family about what they will receive.
Each family accepted into the Holiday Helpers program will receive:
- A winter coat, hat, and mitts
- Two household items
- Two toys for their children
- One $150 grocery gift card
- An artificial tree and decorations (optional)
Families should understand that this is the full extent of the package, and that Holiday Helpers is unable to accommodate requests for additional items, exchanges, or substitutions once a package has been prepared.
Most importantly, families need to understand that this support is a donation, generously provided by individual donors, and not a guaranteed or customizable benefit. In past years, we've received complaints from families about the contents of their package, and unfortunately these are situations we are not able to resolve after the fact. Helping families understand and accept these expectations upfront goes a long way toward making the experience a positive one for everyone involved.
Thank You Letters: Families are also required to write a thank-you letter to their donor as a condition of receiving their package. Gratitude is a core part of the Holiday Helpers program, and this letter is not optional. A self-addressed envelope and details about where, when and how it will be sent will be provided to the family upon delivery.
Access Your Application Portal
Only the referring agency or case manager can submit the application — families cannot apply directly.
Contact Information
- We request the primary caregiver's full name, phone number, and address. If there's a confidentiality concern, please ask the family for their approval or contact our elves for special consideration.
- A name, email, and phone number for the family's Social Worker is required on every application.
- The family's contact information is kept strictly confidential and is never shared with donors.
Listing Family Members
- Include all immediate family members — parents (or primary caregiver) and children. Please don't include aunts, uncles, or other extended relations who aren't part of the immediate household. If a baby is expected within 4 months, include them as a family member along with their due date and gender (if known).
Writing the family Profile
The Family Profile is one of the most important parts of the application. It's your opportunity to tell us more about the family and why they should be accepted — and, minus any confidential details, it's shared directly with the donor who will support them.
A detailed, thoughtful profile helps donors connect with the family's story and, in our experience, often increases their generosity. Applications with an underdeveloped Family Profile may be sent back for revision, so it's worth taking the time to get this right.
Consider including:
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- A description of the family — how many members, their background, etc.
- Where they're from, and when they arrived in Canada
- The unique challenges and barriers they're facing
- How Holiday Helpers can help them this holiday season
- Anything else important to share, with the family's consent
Examples of strong Family Profiles:
"Mom gave birth to twins, and they were hospitalized for months, and she was having a difficult time as she was experiencing postpartum depression. Her husband was unable to find proper work; he became the caregiver for the other children in the home while the wife spent several months caring for the twins in the hospital. Holiday Helpers will help alleviate some of the winter expenses for the family."
"This family is new to Canada from Afghanistan, and this will be their first winter here. They are eager to learn English and find employment. They don't have many belongings and would be grateful for any support. The two older children are starting school and trying hard to learn English and to make new friends. Mom is at home taking care of the family while dad is trying to find work and improve his English."
Every family has a story beyond the everyday challenges. That story is what helps a donor truly understand — and want to support — the family you're referring.
Access Your Application Portal
- Applications open — Referral Partners will be notified by email when applications open and provide login details.
- Review — Submitted applications are reviewed by the Holiday Helpers Elves. The applications are reviewed after Labour Day, so please be patient if you don't hear back right away.
- Status updates — While under review, your application will show one of the following statuses in your portal: New, Submitted for Approval, or Hold. You can also see the total number of applications you've submitted in your portal.
- If rejected — The reason will be listed on the application itself.
- If approved — An email is sent to the family with a link to complete their wishlist.
Privacy & Family Consent
Holiday Helpers is committed to protecting the dignity, safety, and privacy of every family we support. Starting in 2025, we have strengthened our protocols around sharing family-related content:
- We will not post letters, photographs, or personal stories involving families without explicit, informed, written consent from the family.
- Families will be told clearly how their content may be used, where it may appear, and for what purpose — before being asked to consent.
- Families can decline to have their story shared publicly, and doing so will have no impact on the support they receive.
- Last names, address and any personal information is NOT shared publicly or with donors.
This policy applies to all agencies, partners, sponsors, and affiliates working with Holiday Helpers. Every family has the right to control their own story.
Questions about the application process?
Email us at marinas@holidayhelpers.org or sarah@holidayhelpers.org.