Helping During the Holidays

During the holiday season, Heartland United Way provides necessities, gift items, and food vouchers to individuals experiencing extraordinary needs through three programs – Holiday Toy Program, Holiday Adopt a Family Program, & Christmas Cheer. The Heartland United Way works closely with our community, local school social workers, United Way community partners and the U.S. Marine Corps & their Toys for Tots program to make these programs possible.

Each year, our organization is able to serve the referred individuals and families because of the generosity of our community members and the assistance of local businesses.

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Heartland United Way Holiday Toy Drive

The Holiday Toy Drive provides holiday gift assistance for children age 12 and under in Hall, Hamilton, Howard, and Merrick Counties whose parents are not financially able to provide gifts for them during the holidays. This program is not meant for providing additional toys.


Parents whose children are accepted into the program will receive a letter/voucher to “shop” for their child’s gift from the donated items on distribution day. The goal is to collect enough items so each child will receive one toy, a stuffed animal, and a book or game. 

In 2024, 2,479 children received gifts through this program.

Donations of new, unwrapped toys and gently-used books or stuffed animals are collected starting in November 2025. Please drop off donations of new, un-wrapped toys at the Heartland United Way office (1441 N Webb Road, Grand Island). 

Donations of new, unwrapped toys and gently-used books or stuffed animals are collected starting in November 2025. Please drop off donations of new, un-wrapped toys at the Heartland United Way office (1441 N. Webb Road, Grand Island). Other donation sites will be listed here in November. 

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Toy Collection Site!
Please complete the form below.

Boxes can be picked up starting TBD from the United Way office. If you are unable to pickup a collection box at the Heartland United Way, please call Karly at the Heartland United Way Office (308-382-2675) to make arrangements for someone to deliver a box.

Important Dates:

Boxes Available for Pickup - TBD
Heartland United Way Toy Drive Collection - TBD
Toy Drive Delivery Days - TBD
Heartland United Way Toy Drive & Toys for Tots Distribution - TBD

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Check Go2Volunteer for holiday volunteer opportunities!

Holiday Adopt a Family Program

The Adopt a Family program allows businesses, community members, and organizations to provide local families with food, necessity items, and gifts during the holidays. Families accepted into this program are experiencing extraordinary needs due to job loss, health issues, a house fire, or other major circumstances. Adopters donate gifts to an assigned family anonymously based on a description of the family’s biggest needs. In 2024, Heartland United Way connected 34 local families with adopters through the program.
All families must be referred or nominated by a social worker, church or other agency. 

Christmas Cheer

Christmas Cheer was established in 1910 to provide a helping hand to local families during the holidays. A volunteer board operated this program, and in 2024 the Heartland United Way began to carry on this tradition. This program provides a grocery voucher for a holiday meal to Hall County people & families in need. In 2024, 1,081 families received food vouchers through this program. 

Thank you for your interest in the Heartland United Way Holiday Adopt A Family Program. Please fill out the form below to be added to the adopters list. You will be contacted by mid November with Adopter assignments. 

Nominations for Adopt a Family close in early November.

Once nominations close, anonymous information will be shared with the adopter families in mid-November to give adopters at least three weeks to shop and wrap presents before delivering them to the Heartland United Way. 

Depending on the family you are paired with will determine when to bring your wrapped, precious gifts to the Heartland United Way. Our team will connect with you to provide you with a timeline to be determined.

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To donate to this program, contact the Heartland United Way. Other donation locations will be announced.

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