Meets pressing community needs by mobilizing caring New Yorkers in volunteer service.

Request Holiday Gifts

Our program provides holiday toys and gifts for tens of thousands of children and teens at participating agencies.

Child receiving a New York Cares Winter Wishes package

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.

Application Process

We are consistently working to improve the Winter Wishes program as we remain committed to serving New York City and putting the needs of communities first. This year we will continue to provide the Winter Wishes program to Community Partners, focusing the program on family shelters, public housing facilities, and Title I public schools in Central Queens, the South Bronx, and East Brooklyn.

We have also compiled a list of alternate gift drive resources and programs to help support your community this winter. Please note that while we have made efforts to contact each program, we are not aware of each program’s status or their ability to support new partners. Please find that list here New York City Holiday Drives and Resources. New York Cares is not directly affiliated with these organizations, so please contact them directly for more information on their program.

If you have any additional questions about the Winter Wishes program, please contact us at winter.wishes@newyorkcares.org.