Skip to Content

Get FREE Christmas Help in Virginia! | Free Gifts, Food & More

Get FREE Christmas Help in Virginia! | Free Gifts, Food & More

Need some Christmas help in Virginia? There are organizations all over the state that can help you get free Christmas gifts, free holiday meals and so much more. We’ve done a lot of research and we’ll show you all the places you can apply for assistance.

After all, our team understands firsthand how heartbreaking it is when you can’t provide your kiddos with a huge holiday celebration. We’ve dealt with that stress and disappointment before, so we’re doing our best to make sure no family has to endure it again.

Get Free Christmas Help in Virginia

There are different organizations around the company that serve states individually. You might get help with free Christmas gifts and food in Virginia by visiting these organizations.

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army could help you get free Christmas help in Virginia! Their holiday programs can provide free toys, hot holiday meals and more to those who qualify.

If you apply for and are qualified for their program, you could get help with the Angel Tree. This program starts up early in the season but even if they are unable to help, they have resources available they can direct you to!

WHO IS ELIGIBLE: The Salvation Army typically provides free gifts to children who are age 12 or under. Sometimes, they also include seniors in their Angel Tree programs. Their hot meals are typically available for everyone.

HOW TO APPLY: The hot meals are usually served in a congregate setting on a first-come, first-served basis. For toys, you can register on the Angel Tree website or by contacting your local Salvation Army directly.

Toys for Tots

Toys for Tots is a program that helps parents who can’t afford Christmas gifts for their children. If you’re low income, this is one of the best ways to get help!

Run by the Marine Corps Reserve, it collects new toys and gives them to children who need them. This means that even families with little money can still have a joyful Christmas, with their children getting to open presents. It’s an easy way for parents in tough financial situations to make sure their kids have a special holiday.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE: The Toys for Tots program typically helps low income children. The age range varies by location but is often capped at age 12.

HOW TO APPLY: Applying is easy! Go to the Toys for Tots website, click Request a Toy, and then select your state and county to begin the application process.

Soldiers’ Angels

Soldiers Angels hosts a Holiday Adopt-A-Family program is to help our soldiers’ to provide with free Christmas help for their children and families while they are serving the country.

Most military veterans live on a tighter budget than most people realize. A soldier has enough to worry about serving the country and should never have to feel like they can’t get something special for their child during the holiday season. 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE: You may be eligible if you are an Active Duty, National Guard or Reservist member who with a rank between E1 and E6. You may also be eligible if you are a post-9/11 veteran with a 10% or higher VA rating, or a veteran who is currently enrolled in HUD/VASH.

HOW TO APPLY: You will need to register on the Soldiers Angels website to begin the registration process. Applications open early in the season and close in early December.

Northern Virginia Family Services

Northern Virginia Family Service offers toys, books, games, clothing, and small gifts for over thousands of children in Northern Virginia every year.

Their service area includes Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, Loudon, Manassas, Manassas Park, Prince William and Woodridge.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE: Low income individuals and families who live in their service area may be eligible for help from Northern Virginia Family Services. Each program or service may have unique eligibility criteria.

HOW TO APPLY: You will need to contact your nearest Northern Virginia Family Services for details.

Other Christmas Help

There are even more nationwide charities that help low income families during the holiday season. We’ve found agencies that provide free Christmas trees, free Christmas decorations, free gifts and food and so much more! Get all the details in our Nationwide Free Christmas Resource Directory.

Local Christmas Help in Virginia

There are free Christmas gifts and food in counties throughout Virginia! We found free Christmas gifts and food in Virginia that you can get right near you.

If you don’t see your county listed, tell us in a comment below and we’ll search your area again to see if we find anything new. We can’t always reply to every person when we do our research sweeps, though, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back for updates!

Campbell County

Whether you live in Lynchburg, Timberlake, Brookneal, Altavista or the surrounding area, we’ve found organizations that may be able to provide free Christmas help near you!

Compassion Christmas Food Box Giveaway is a program that offers free food boxes to Lynchburg families in need. They aim to serve around 1,000 families per year. The food boxes all contain seasonal, holiday foods like stuffing, Mac & cheese, gravy, and baked beans, as well as other food items that make up an amazing holiday dinner. 

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank provides nutritious food all year round. The holiday season is no different; they bring in extra donations so they can offer a holiday box for those families who need food to prepare for the holiday.

Fairfax County

If you’re in Tysons Corner, Reston, Herndon or Chantilly, you can get help with free Christmas gifts and food in Fairfax County!

BritePaths in Fairfax offers free holiday meals and gifts to over 500 families living in Fairfax County and the surrounding area. They may be able to help you if you live in Fairfax County or the town of Vienna, city of Falls Church, town of Herndon, or city of Fairfax.

Cornerstones in Reston helps over 1,000 low income families living in Fairfax County every holiday season. They spread holiday cheer by providing families with gift cards and winter coats for children.

Herndon-Reston FISH in Herndon offers holiday food and gift assistance for impoverished families in December. Families receive toys for their children, small gifts, and all the ingredients needed to fix a traditional holiday dinner.

Lorton Community Action Center in Lorton offers holiday assistance to low income families living in Lorton. These families receive food, gifts, and toys all delivered to their door just before Christmas. In addition, they offer free food for military families, disabled persons, and seniors.

Suffolk

St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church may offer Holiday Christmas baskets to families in need living in the Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Suffolk area. These holiday food baskets have enough food to feed a family of six a special holiday meal including turkey or ham and all the fixings.

Prince William County

House Of Mercy in Manassas offers Christmas assistance to families receiving aid from their organization. They can provide a shopping experience so that parents can shop for Christmas gifts for their kids. This program depends on donations and may not be available to every family who receives services. However, they can also help with clothing assistance and food through different programs.

Relief Recap

There are many organizations that offer free Christmas help in Virginia! This post includes statewide resources as well as local churches and charities that can help in your specific area. If you need free Christmas gifts, food or trees this holiday season, contact the organizations on this list for help. They may be able to brighten your spirits and help make your holidays a little better!

Nicole is the founder and lead researcher of Low Income Relief. After a personal experience with poverty and homelessness following her husband's sudden medical discharge from the U.S. Army, Nicole discovered the life-changing impact of community resources. This experience ignited her passion for empowering others to navigate similar crises. Nicole launched her writing career at age 16, working for various newspapers and publications. Her commitment to in-depth research and accessible content has been recognized by Google for Publishers and other industry leaders. For over 20 years, she has applied her investigative skills to uncover the most helpful, up-to-date information on benefits programs and community resources, ensuring Low Income Relief maintains the most extensive resource databases available.

J.Munoz

Saturday 2nd of December 2023

Is it too late to apply for gifts? I never heard about these charities, and I definitely need the help. I am a mother of 2 Boys ages 13 and 11 I have a full-time job, but it's been hard keeping up with bills, rent, i recently lost my car so im now looking for rides or getting an uber whenever i can.

Catherine Marucci

Monday 4th of December 2023

If the resources above are not helpful, it may be worth calling 211 to see if there is anything else they can suggest. I hope you find something!

Catherine Marucci

Saturday 21st of October 2023

Hi Christal. If the resources above are not helpful, it may be worth calling 211 to see if they know of anything else that might be available in your area.

Catherine Marucci

Monday 9th of October 2023

Hi. If the resources above are not helpful, it may be worth calling 211 to see if they know of any other help available in your area.

Debora Bowles

Thursday 17th of November 2022

i dont see mycity woodbridge va.

Catherine Marucci

Thursday 17th of November 2022

Hi Debora. If the resources listed above are not helpful in your area, it may be worth calling 211 to see if they know of any local programs that you may be eligible for.

Catherine Marucci

Thursday 10th of November 2022

Hi Sheena. If the resources above aren't helpful in your area, it may be worth calling 211 to see what else they can suggest.