Seasonal Giving
Support individuals and families during the back-to-school and holiday seasons.
Back to School and Winter Wishes
Doorways offers special opportunities to support individuals and families in our programs through seasonal campaigns.
Back to School
Each summer, generous donors help ensure every child at Doorways has what they need to start the school year off right. Learn more about Back to School.
Winter Wishes
Each fall, our amazing community members help ensure everyone at Doorways — adults, youth, and children — have a gift for the season, and a gift card to create their own holiday magic. Learn more about Winter Wishes.
For additional information about seasonal giving, or donating items in general, please contact Ashley Stewart, Community Relations and Development Specialist, at 703-504-9271 or astewart@doorwaysva.org.
Back to School
Back-to-School Sponsors help ensure that every child in our shelter and housing programs has what they need to start their next school year off right!
Our 2026 Back-to-School sponsorship goal has met, so sponsorships are now closed. Support our ongoing Children’s Services all year round by donating to the Virginia McCaffrey Fund for Children at Doorways.
Back-to-School Sponsorship Information
Back-to-School Sponsors provide the following new and unused items for each child:
- High-quality backpack
- Lunchbox
- Water bottle
- Umbrella
- $100 VISA gift card
We ask for gift cards to empower our families with the opportunity to shop for their own back-to-school clothes and grade-specific supplies.
After signing up, you will receive an email introducing you to your matched child or children sharing their preferences, like favorite colors and characters, as well as details on the donation drop-off process. We kindly ask that backpacks be delivered to Doorways by the deadline to ensure they reach our kiddos ahead of their first day.
Winter Wishes
Help our clients fulfill their families’ wish lists to make this holiday season brighter. Your generous support as a Winter Wishes Sponsor can give our clients the holiday they deserve. Grant wishes. Spread joy. Become a Winter Wishes sponsor!
Winter Wishes launches each fall. To be notified at the start of the campaign, please complete this contact form.
Winter Wishes Sponsorship Information
For each client we need one gift, at or around $50 in value, and a $100 Visa gift card. The reason we ask for gift cards is because we want to empower our families with the gift of opportunity this season to purchase items that bring them and their loved ones joy. Every family wants to spread the love this time of year, and your gift cards provide them the opportunity to do so!
After you sign up, you will receive an email introducing you to the individual(s) you are sponsoring and sharing their initials, age, gender, and a description of their desired gift. Details on the donation drop-off process will be provided in that email as well. We kindly ask that gifts and gifts cards be delivered to Doorways by the deadline to reach recipients in time for the holidays.
Stock the Shelves for the Holidays
Shopping Doorways’ Amazon Wish List is a quick and easy way to help during the holidays and all year long. Purchase any of our urgently needed items through Amazon to have them shipped directly to Doorways for fast and hassle-free delivery. Thank you for your support!
Donate Online
Give safe harbor, healing, and hope to survivors and their families.
I donate to Doorways’ back to school program every year because it’s so important that children feel good about themselves at school, and are not further victimized by the embarrassment of not having the right supplies or clothes that don’t fit. It takes so little to make a very big difference in the life of a child. It’s a no-brainer for me.
—Heidi Wagner