Santa's head elves for Wilson County, Old Hickory and Hermitage, since 2012

If a child believes in Santa, Santa should come.

When a hard year lands on a family near us, our elves make sure the kids still wake up to presents from Santa.

Two guests laughing as they hold up red and white polka dot gift boxes at a holiday table — Opening gifts at Cocktails & Christmas Cheer.

Where the toys come from

Every toy drive is a show, and everybody brings a toy.

We bring Nashville songwriters to a venue, an office or a living room, we promote it like crazy, and the guests bring new toys. It's our favorite way to fill Santa's bags.

Five musicians with acoustic guitars playing a songwriters' round — A songwriters' round at one of our fundraisers. Host a toy drive of your own

Who we help

The families we help make too much for assistance and too little for one bad month.

Mom and Dad are working. Then a bill comes in sky high, a tire blows, a job ends or somebody gets sick, and there's no savings to cover it.

The first thing to go is Christmas for the kids. If they're still at the believing age, that's a hard year for everybody in the house.

We go by what happened, never by income, and most years that adds up to somewhere between 150 and 500 kids. One year it was 700.

Help us reach more of them this year

Two women dressed as Christmas elves, one holding up mistletoe — Two of Santa's head elves. We really do dress the part.

How it works

A Santa letter goes in, and one black bag comes out.

You tell us what happened this year.
A parent fills out our application with each child's age and Santa letter, plus a few lines about the emergency, by December 15.
The elves gather toys all year long.
They come from songwriter toy drives, donation boxes at local businesses, and neighbors who adopt a family from our list.
We shop the Santa letter, two or three gifts a child.
We try to get at least one thing off every list, then pack each family's bag with wrapping paper, so mom and dad can wrap it all at home.
Santa gets the credit on Christmas morning.
Parents quietly pick up one big black bag so Santa can put it all under the tree. The kids never need to know we were there.

Ways to help

Five ways to put a present under a tree this year.

Join Seven for Santa$7 a month
You get a limited edition ornament, a membership card, and a VIP upgrade into every Give A Little event, Cocktails with Santa included.
Adopt a familyYou shop their list
Pick a family from this year's list and shop their kids' wishes yourself.
Host a toy driveWe bring the music
At your venue, your office, your company party or your living room.
Become an elfHat optional
Book toy drives, sort gifts, find homes for donation boxes, or sing.
Come to Cocktails with SantaFrom $75
Our biggest fundraiser of the year, Thursday, November 12, in Lebanon.