Teaching our children to care for their community.
Holiday Dreams began as a way for us to give back to our local community. It started in partnership with JFS Metrowest, serving children at the Woodrow Wilson school.
Our goals really started to expand after our children asked us a simple question: “We’re helping students at school, but what about their brothers and sisters?” We knew that if our kids had dreams to take Holiday Dreams further, we needed to make it happen.
Our foundation quickly grew from a small holiday-focused program to year-long programming that brings comfort, security, and magic into homes all across Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut.
What began with our own family unit has become a tradition of families pitching in together, with kids of all ages giving back and forming new perspectives. When we teach our kids to give back to their communities with teamwork, care, and generosity, we are creating leaders for tomorrow who will take this work even further. While all kids love having presents at the holidays, we have seen our children and the families we work with grow in compassion and empathy with each passing year.
We look forward to seeing where Holiday Dreams goes next, and we hope you will be with us every step of the way!
—
Leslie and Jonathan Gerber
Founders, Holiday Dreams Foundation
October 28, 2025
Dear Friends,
It's that amazing time of year again — time to spread joy and help our community with Holiday Dreams! We are celebrating our 20 birthday and are thrilled to say that over the past 20 years we have helped more than 20,000 children in need. This is an incredible number and one we never could have achieved without help from all of you! We hope you are extremely proud of the enormous impact that you're making.
For months we have been in contact with schools and agencies all over Massachusetts and beyond, and the need for help this year is greater than it ever has been. We know that for a large number of families in need, our Holiday Dreams program provides the only chance for a little joy during the holiday season. As many of you know, through Holiday Dreams, our family sponsors an annual gift drive to support countless school districts throughout Massachusetts, youth and family services throughout the state, JFS MetroWest, and the Greater Hartford, Connecticut, area. We supported more than 1400 children last year alone.
Getting involved is easy. Simply let us know how many children you’d like to sponsor by filling out this form. (We have families with between 1-10 children in them.) We will then send you the children’s wish lists. After that, you can either shop for the kids yourself or donate money, and our shoppers will do it for you. We very much appreciate people shopping for the kids they sponsor, but we are also incredibly grateful for monetary donations to help us take care of every child. Please browse our website to find out more information about all of our programs and how to donate or sponsor a child.
Shopping for a child or children in need truly is one of the most rewarding experiences ever! And once you've bought the gifts, you don't even have to wrap them. The parents of the kids we’re sponsoring wrap the presents, as this gives them a chance to see what their children are receiving.
Please note: We need to collect everything by December 14th.
Holiday Dreams is a registered 501c3 charitable organization, so everything you donate is completely tax deductible. It's a real win/win: You get the incredible feeling of making a child's holiday wishes come true and the benefit of a tax deduction!
We know that participating in Holiday Dreams will be an incredibly joyful and fulfilling experience. You are making a real impact! We hope that being a part of our program brings the best of the holidays to you and your family during this special time of year. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us at (781) 201-9004 with any questions.
Happy Holidays, Good Health, and Peace,
Leslie, Jonathan and Family
2023 Humanitarian Award – Jonathan and Leslie Gerber
Recognizing Holliston residents that have demonstrated Compassion, Caring, and Consideration toward others.
The Gerbers have been doing amazing, selfless and impactful work for over 10 years.
“You have no idea how much your help has meant. This has been a challenging time, and I appreciate you guys so much. Thank you so much for all you have done for us!”
— Ramos & Loaiza Family