Greenwich Human Services Fund aided over 1,000 residents in 2025

The Greenwich Department of Human Services Fund is collecting donations for its 2026 Holiday Aid program, with two December deadlines approaching for residents who want to help neighbors in need.

Adopt a Family gifts must be wrapped and delivered by Thursday, Dec. 17. Gifts may go directly to the matched family, or donors can arrange pickup at Town Hall. Gift-card donations for Holiday Aid are due by Monday, Dec. 21. Checks can be mailed to the Department of Human Services, 101 Field Point Road, Greenwich, CT 06830, payable to GDHS Fund, according to the fund's Holiday Aid page.

The Holiday Aid program provides Thanksgiving grocery gift cards and winter-holiday assistance, including $25 retail gift cards families can use for clothing, toys and other children's gifts.

The appeal comes after the fund reported serving more than 1,000 town residents in 2025. The 501(c)(3) charity raises money to support programs run by the Town of Greenwich's Department of Human Services, according to 2025 program figures posted on the fund's website.

Holiday Aid reached 1,109 residents. The Boots & Shoes program gave 185 children gift cards for new footwear. And 120 children received campership scholarships to attend summer camp.

Two additional programs served younger and teenage residents. Eighty children participated in the BANC After School program, and 112 teens took part in the Greenwich Youth Conservation Program.

A 2024 United Way of Greenwich report found that 26% of Greenwich's roughly 22,660 households fell below the ALICE threshold. That figure includes both households in poverty and ALICE households that earn above the poverty line but below the cost of basic living expenses. The estimate uses five-year census averages.

Boots & Shoes serves schoolchildren ages 5–15 and distributes gift cards redeemable at selected local stores each August. Blaise Punturo, president of the GDHS Fund, described the program's purpose in an August 2026 Patch article.

"A new pair of shoes may seem like a small thing, but for a child, it can make a world of difference," Punturo said. He added that properly fitting shoes help children walk into the classroom with a sense of belonging.

The campership program covers children ages 5–14 from income-eligible families. Full scholarships require household income at or below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines, though the fund says exceptions may be considered for extenuating circumstances, according to the fund's campership page. Scholarships can be used at local day camps and one sleep-away camp in Connecticut.

Residents can learn more or donate at greenwichdhsfund.org.

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