At Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), an innovative initiative is working to bridge a specific gap one thoughtful gift at a time. Known as Gifts of Light, the program provides gifts for patients receiving care at Canada’s largest mental- health teaching hospital: practical items but also experiences and things that deliver meaning by reminding patients they’re not alone.
While the concept may sound simple, its impact is anything but. During November and December of 2025 alone, more than 4,700 gifts were wrapped and distributed thanks to the efforts of 150 volunteers who dedicated their time to ensuring that no patient was overlooked during what, for them, could have been the most isolating time of the year. Unlike traditional holiday gift drives, Gifts of Light is designed to meet a patient’s needs rather than seasonal novelty. Some patients arrive at CAMH with little more than the clothes they are wearing. Others may be separated from family, routines and personal belongings for weeks or months at a time. A warm pair of socks, some personal care items or a small activity can offer not just comfort but dignity, too.
