Apply for Holiday Giving

2025 Applications Now Open

The holidays are a time to come together and make memories. Fello’s Holiday Giving program is here to ensure you and your family can enjoy the season without the stress of financial strain. This program is designed specifically for families raising children with disabilities, recognizing the unique challenges and expenses that can come with the season.

What Is Fello’s Holiday Giving Program?

Fello’s Holiday Giving Program is designed to meet your family’s specific needs. You’ll begin by submitting an application that shares items reflecting your child’s interests, needs, and abilities. Holiday Giving provides gifts for all the children in your household, not just your child with a disability.

If selected, Fello will partner with donors and businesses throughout the community to purchase the items from your child’s list. In mid-December, you’ll receive unwrapped holiday gifts, wrapping paper, and a grocery gift card of at least $100.

Important Dates for 2025

September 10: Applications Open
September 21: Applications Close
October 13: Families Notified

When applying, be as detailed as possible about how receiving support from Holiday Giving will impact your family. This will help the committee to evaluate your application during the review process.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Holiday Giving, families must:

Have at least one child with a disability under the age of 21. Siblings without a disability must be aged 18 and below.
Live within Fello’s legacy counties (Anne Arundel, Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, or Talbot)

Submit one application per family and Fello will provide support for every child in your household.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to submit a separate application for each child? Good news! This year we’ve simplified the process. You only need to submit one application per family, and if selected, Fello will provide holiday support for all the children in your household.
What kinds of gifts can I request? We love helping match gifts to each child’s unique interests, needs, and abilities! When you’re selected for our holiday giving program, you’ll share what would bring joy to your children, and our generous donors and business partners work to fulfill those wishes. To help us support as many families as possible, we ask that you keep your wish list to about $150 per child, marking your top priority items.
Are the gifts wrapped? We provide unwrapped gifts along with beautiful wrapping paper so you can wrap them just the way your family likes! This also gives you the chance to make sure everything is safe and appropriate for each child, especially if they have specific needs related to their disability.
Can I apply if I’ve received support from Holiday Giving in past years? Absolutely! We welcome applications from families who have participated before, as long as you still meet our program requirements. We know that family circumstances can continue to evolve, so please help us understand how holiday assistance would impact your family this year. Please note that past participation in Holiday Giving does not guarantee future selection. Each application is reviewed independently based on current need and available resources, so receiving support in previous years does not automatically qualify you for continued assistance.
How are families selected? Due to the wonderful growth of our program and increased interest from families, we’ve moved from a first-come, first-served process to a thoughtful application review. Our selection committee reviews each application to understand how we can best support families during the holidays. The more you can share about your family’s situation and how this support would help, the stronger your application will be. We’ll notify all families about their application status by Monday, October 13.

Questions?

If you have questions about the program or your eligibility, email us at resources@fello.org.