Hope for Our Children (HFOC), in collaboration with Mercy Communities and Child Safety, is delivering the 2025 Gift of Hope Appeal to provide Christmas gifts to vulnerable children and young people across the Toowoomba Region. Many of these young people are facing significant hardship and are either at risk of being removed from their families ...
Hope for OUR Children
Gift of Hope 2025
GOAL
$2,000
Australia > QLD > Regional
Field of Interest
- Health/wellbeing and medical research
- Individual/family services and support
Target Population
- Young people (6-25)
- People experiencing socio-economic disadvantage or vulnerability
Hope for OUR Children
Hope for Our Children (HFOC) is a Toowoomba-based charity dedicated to bringing hope, dignity and belonging to vulnerable young people in our community. Established in 2013, our vision is simple yet profound: Together we can inspire hope, nurture resilience and empower children to reach their full potential.
We work alongside young people entering foster or kinship care, those in residential care, and families in crisis. Too often, these children arrive with little more than a garbage bag of belongings or face Christmas without a gift. HFOC addresses this through our Bags of Hope program, which provides thoughtfully packed backpacks filled with clothing, comfort items and essentials, and our annual Gift of Hope Appeal, which ensures hundreds of children receive a personalised Christmas gift. In 2024 alone, we distributed 399 Bags of Hope and provided gifts for over 600 children.
Our strength lies in community partnership—drawing together local individuals, schools, businesses and service providers who share our passion for creating brighter futures. Funding directly supports these initiatives, enabling us to purchase essential items for backpacks, cover logistics, and expand our reach to meet the growing need.
Our priorities for 2025 include:
*Increasing the number of Bags of Hope delivered and expanding who receives them.
*Expanding our Gift of Hope Appeal to reach more children.
*Strengthening community awareness and collaboration.
HFOC is uniquely placed to respond with agility, compassion and lived understanding, ensuring no young person feels forgotten.
Project Summary
Hope for Our Children (HFOC), in collaboration with Mercy Communities and Child Safety, is delivering the 2025 Gift of Hope Appeal to provide Christmas gifts to vulnerable children and young people across the Toowoomba Region. Many of these young people are facing significant hardship and are either at risk of being removed from their families or already in out-of-home care. Without this program, they are likely to go without a gift at Christmas.
We believe every child deserves to feel valued, remembered, and included — especially during a season that can highlight what they’ve lost. Each gift is thoughtfully matched to the child’s age and interests and delivered in a hand-sewn Santa sack by their case worker or support agency.
This year, approximately 700 children have been identified as likely to go without a gift. The requested $2,000 grant will be used directly to purchase gifts, helping to ease the emotional and financial pressure on families, carers, and frontline services at Christmas.
The Gift of Hope Appeal strengthens community connection and inclusion by ensuring that vulnerable children are not forgotten. It supports Toowoomba Regional Council’s priorities of wellbeing, equity, and meaningful community outcomes.
Project Outcomes
The Gift of Hope Appeal delivers emotional, social, and wellbeing benefits across multiple community levels:
For Children & Families Receiving Gifts:
*Sense of Belonging: Vulnerable children and families will feel seen, valued, and included, knowing they are part of a caring community.
*Emotional Relief: Parents and carers will be spared the shame, sadness, and pressure of being unable to provide gifts, helping create a more positive holiday experience.
*Improved Wellbeing: Reducing financial stress supports parents' mental health and emotional wellbeing.
*Joy for Children: Receiving a personalised gift brings delight and boosts emotional wellbeing on what can otherwise be a painful day.
For Local Donors & Volunteers:
*Fulfilment and Joy: Donors experience the joy of giving and see the tangible impact of their generosity.
*Stronger Community Connection: Gifting and volunteering bring people together for a shared cause, building unity and shared purpose.
*Increased Empathy: Participants become more aware of local needs and develop greater understanding for those facing hardship.
For Mercy Communities & Child Safety:
*Enhanced Collaboration: Strengthens relationships with HFOC and other community partners, improving cross-sector impact.
*Uplift for Staff: Case workers experience joy and renewed motivation when delivering gifts and seeing families’ gratitude.
The project delivers lasting emotional, social and community outcomes at a critical time of year.
Budget Breakdown
TOTAL BUDGET: $22,000
FUNDING
| Funding source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Funding gap | $2,000 |
EXPENSES
| Expense item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cosr of gifts | $2,000 |
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