Some of our recent projects:
- Handmade Baby Items We are collecting handmade baby blankets, sweaters and other items to include in our Diaper Bag Layettes and Emergency Toddler Backpacks for little ones in shelter. Give the gift of your valuable time and skills.
- Boots for Northern Kids in 2020-21 we provided many Inuit children with new warm snow boots this winter.
- Christmas Gift Envelopes for students in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. These small gifts are often the only ones these children will receive for Christmas. 2021 has been our most successful year to date and we have sent 1500 gift envelopes to northern communities.
- Every Child Matters In 2021 we collected and shipped 300+ new running shoes to Inuit communities in memory of the 215 residential children who never returned to their loving families. We will continue to send shoes to northern children in need.
- Back-to-School Backpacks for kids in Toronto shelters. Every September we distribute school supplies to local kids in need. In 2022 we also sent some Back-to-School Backpacks to the Yukon and Churchill, MB.
- Summer Early Learning Backpacks to Nunavut for young children in northern Canada to get them ready for success in school in the fall. In 2022 we sent 350 backpacks to northern youngsters to get a head start on school.
- Emergency Backpacks of basic necessities and clothes for women and young children who find themselves living in a shelter in Toronto without anything except the clothes on their back.
- Emergency Diaper Bags for pregnant and new moms living in shelters. Often it is when a women is bringing a child into the world that she makes the difficult decision to flee an abusive relationship. We offer diaper bags with a newborn layette to help her care for her newborn infant. In 2021 we expanded this programme beyond Toronto shelters to northern moms in Inuvik, and Fort Smith, NT.
- Food and Supplies to shelters and food banks in Canada. Poverty knows no geographic boundaries. We support food banks and soup kitchens anywhere in Canada that there is a need.
- Supplies to Elders living in remote parts of Canada to support projects that bring elders and students together to teach and pass on new and traditional skills.
- Masks for Front Line Workers & People at Risk during Covid-19 we made masks to donate to front line workers and those at risk at hospitals, seniors, volunteers at food banks. We gave 1500+ masks and this project is now complete.
Donate Today!

Christmas Gift Envelopes for Northern Kids
At this time of year Hands Up Canada is preparing Christmas envelopes for students in northern communities. For many of these children these will be the only gifts they receive each year. In 2021 with the generous support of our sponsors we sent 1800 envelopes and last year we shipped about 1200 envelopes plus 200 elders’ gifts. That’s a lot and we’ll do as many as possible this year but we might not meet that number due to other commitments but we’ll do our best.
Each envelope costs about $25 to purchase the items and ship North. Please consider donating now to bring Christmas cheer to Northern kids.

EDUCATION
Help a student get a good
start at school.

POVERTY
Give someone in need the necessities of life.

COMMUNITY
Help bring people in communities together.