A holiday gift can carry a simple message: someone thought about you. For a parent trying to stretch a limited budget, community support can also mean one less expense to face alone.
This Giving Tuesday, StrongSteps Behavioral Health Foundation is inviting neighbors and businesses across the Southern Tier to help raise $6,000 for Holiday for Hope. The campaign supports holiday gifts and essential items for families experiencing financial hardship or homelessness.
Would your business consider giving $100? If 60 businesses each contribute $100, together they can meet the $6,000 goal. Gifts of every size are welcome.
Giving Tuesday 2026: a local way to give
Giving Tuesday takes place on December 1, 2026. It is a day when people come together through donations, volunteering, and acts of kindness. You do not have to wait until December to participate in Holiday for Hope. Giving early helps StrongSteps plan for holiday assistance.
Why holiday support belongs in a mental health mission
Holiday celebrations can bring joy, but they can also add expectations at a time when a family is already worried about everyday needs. A gift drive does not replace mental health care or solve the larger causes of poverty. It offers something practical: help with holiday needs and a clear expression of community care.
StrongSteps connects its mental health mission with community-based support, peer connection, education, and resource navigation. Holiday for Hope is one way neighbors can participate in that work. Families deserve dignity in how they are spoken about and in how assistance is offered.
How a $100 business donation helps
A $100 contribution goes toward the campaign’s work providing holiday gifts and essential items. We are not assigning a fixed number of children to each donation because needs and item costs vary. Businesses can give the full $100, contribute another amount, or invite employees to participate voluntarily.
- Give directly: make a contribution through the Holiday for Hope donation page.
- Share the appeal: send the campaign to colleagues, customers, or community partners.
- Ask about a giving tree: contact StrongSteps about hosting gift tags or organizing a collection.
- Discuss a match: ask us about matching employee or community donations.
Giving with dignity
Receiving assistance should not require a family to publicly share its hardest moments. Please do not post a child’s name, family circumstances, or identifying details from a gift tag. Ask StrongSteps about the appropriate collection and return process before organizing a drive, and confirm current needs before purchasing items.
If you are seeking support yourself, you do not need to donate. Ask StrongSteps about available support and resources. Program availability and eligibility vary; a donation does not reserve assistance or guarantee a place in a program.
Help us move toward $6,000
You do not need to make a large gift to be part of this effort. A $25 contribution, a $100 business donation, or a thoughtful introduction to a potential sponsor can all help the campaign move forward. If giving financially is not possible, sharing the campaign or asking about volunteer opportunities is another way to participate.
Give $100—or any amount—to Holiday for Hope
For business partnerships, check donations, or nonprofit documentation, email scarter@strongstepsbh.com or call (888) 604-5527. Learn more about how a Holiday for Hope giving tree works.
Giving Tuesday date: GivingTuesday official United States page. Campaign goal and donation request provided by StrongSteps. This article describes the program and its fundraising appeal; it is not a participant testimonial.
Stock photograph: Karola G / Pexels. Image used to illustrate holiday giving.
