IFCS | A Denver Area Food Bank and More to Nourish Lives

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SEASONAL HAPPENINGS

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Every child deserves a happy holiday season.

Helping Hands for the Holidays is an IFCS enrichment program that provides children aged newborn to 10 years old with holiday gifts through the generosity of community sponsors and donors.

Advance Registration Required

This program is for children aged newborn to 10 years old.

We will accept applications beginning October 2, 2023. Registration will close when 300 eligible children have been accepted or at 10 a.m. on October 20, 2023 (whichever comes first).  

Please note: Program capacity is limited.

Eligibility and Income Guidelines
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PROGRAM APPLICATION FOR HOLIDAY GIFT SUPPORT CLOSED ON OCTOBER 20, 2023. PLEASE CHECK BACK NEXT YEAR.

Trouble Registering?

If you cannot apply online, please contact IFCS to complete your registration by phone: 303-789-0501, extension 108.

Please Note:

We use a priority number system that tracks how many times a family has used this program in the past. A first-time participant who has never received Helping Hands for the Holidays gift support will be at the top of the priority list. Due to the priority number system and depending on how many sponsors are available to sponsor children, we cannot guarantee that every family will be sponsored. 

Gift Pickup Information

If your child(ren) is sponsored for this program you will receive a postcard in the mail by December 1, 2023 with pickup scheduling information. Emails will also be sent to sponsored families.

If you have not received your postcard by December 1, 2023, call 303-789-0501, ext. 108.

Eligibility Guidelines

IFCS Enrichment Programs have service area and income guidelines.

SERVICE AREA GUIDELINES:
For IFCS Enrichment Programs, we have a service area covering:

  • Western Arapahoe County: Centennial, Englewood, Glendale, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Sheridan, and unincorporated Arapahoe County.
  • Southwest Denver Neighborhoods: Bear Valley, College View, Fort Logan, Harvey Park, Harvey Park South, Marston & South Platte (Southwest Neighborhoods further defined as being south of Jewell and west of Santa Fe).
  • Northern Douglas County: Highlands Ranch, Littleton, and Lone Tree.

  • Southern Jefferson County: Lakewood, Littleton, Morrison (Neighborhoods further defined as being south of Jewell and the C-470 Corridor – including Columbine, Bow Mar, Dakota Ridge, and Ken Caryl Ranch) 

Applications outside of these listed areas will not be accepted.


INCOME GUIDELINES:
As of March 1, 2024, a household may meet income-based standards in either of the following two ways:

  1. Participate in one of these public assistance programs:
    • Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
    • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)
    • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
    • Old Age Pension (OAP)
    • Aid to Needy Disabled (AND)
    • Aid to the Blind (AB)
    • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
    • Medicaid Eligible Foster Children
  1. If the household does not participate in any of the above public assistance programs, the household must have a combined gross income that does not exceed the maximum income limit for the applicable household size.

ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES:
Please refer to the Interest Form for additional, program-specific criteria.

Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or  retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. Mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. Fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or 
  3. Email:
    program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

This statement was updated 8.3.22 in accordance with USDA updates and guidelines.