Gift of Giving Back

The Gift of Giving Back

Christmas 4 kids

Nov. 23 @ Virtual Concert with Phil Vassar | Dec. 7-8 @ Hendersonville Wal-Mart

For over twenty years, Christmas 4 Kids has given the joy of Christmas to thousands of children that might not otherwise experience it. Despite current social distancing restrictions, the events will still go on... just a little different. To support the charity Phil Vassar will perform a virtual concert on Nov. 23. Each child will still receive the $150 shopping spree, but the kids will provide “wish lists” to volunteers who will shop for them at the Hendersonville Walmart on December 7th-8th. The Christmas gifts will be delivered to the children on December 15th.

More Information Christmas4kids.org

Tenille Townes giving tuesday concert

December 1 @ Marathon Music Works

Tenille Townes will perform a special Giving Tuesday Concert at Marathon Music Works in partnership with Big Heart for Big Kids and Hands On Nashville. The show will provide an opportunity for fans to give back, with proceeds helping to fund care packages for those without permanent housing. The event will be held with reduced capacity, and socially-distanced reserved seating that will require for each party to purchase as a group. Masks are required to enter.

More Information marathonmusicworks.com

jim brickman comfort & joy at home

December 11 @ Virtual Nashville Concert

Jim Brickman will be taking the nation by storm this holiday season with ‘Comfort & Joy at Home 2020’ Virtual Tour. Brickman will warm the hearts of all as sweet sounds of faith and love make spirits bright, bringing family and friends together for anything but a silent night. A portion of each ticket purchased to this LIVE event will benefit theatres across the US. Fans and their families can enjoy this unique virtual experience from the comfort of home while supporting their local venues.

More Information jimbrickman.com/nashville

nashville christmas parade

December 5 @ ABC, Newschannel 2

While we are not able to be together in downtown Nashville this year for the traditional parade on Broadway, please join us Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. for special performances and appearances on WKRN, Nashville’s News 2, the local ABC affiliate for the Nashville, Tennessee and surrounding Middle Tennessee counties. We will also have inspirational patient stories, sponsor spotlights and a walk down memory lane with highlights from past parades.

More Information nashvillechristmasparade.com

Franktown festival of lights

Nov. 26 - Dec. 26 @ Williamson County Ag Expo Center

“Franktown Open Hearts, a nonprofit that serves inner-city at-risk youth and their families in Franklin, will once again host the Franktown Festival of Lights, presented by First Bank, with over a mile-long Christmas-spirited experience that features thousands of sparkling holiday lights. In its third year, it’s Williamson County’s only drive-thru light spectacular. Attendees can relax in the comfort of their own car and wind their way through more than 200 light displays while listening to Christmas classics on the radio, some of which will be synchronized with the displays.

More Information Franktownfestivaloflights.com

Every winter we hear a lot of talk about the “season of giving” and we rush around buying and wrapping pretty new things for our family and friends. Our debit cards sigh as we put them back in our wallets at the end of a long day. But what about the folks who don’t have the ability to buy those gifts?

I never had much growing up, but we never did without. As an adult, I have climbed above that poverty line and my kids have much more than they need, but I know how it felt to pinch pennies, cut corners, even pay a bill late in order to buy a small gift for my kids. Those years while we were building our life without support were harder than I hope they ever know.

It was during those years that Give A Little Christmas was born. My best friend and fellow editor, Krys, was interviewing a friend for our previous magazine when he mentioned Santa Claus. He said he had always wanted to give presents to homeless children with his long white beard and his rosy-cheeked wife. Krys ran with it and helped Glenn and Dottie Tubb start making plans. I will never forget our first event. Joey doesn’t climb out of bed easily and he had a particularly rough fall, recovering from a crushed hand. I had lost a lot of my odd jobs to his physical therapy and we had all been in a bit of a funk. That morning I told the boys that we had to go sing for a bunch of kids and help Santa give them presents. I still have never seen Joey jump out of bed so quickly.

Our boys came alive when they met Santa and Mrs. Claus. They immediately went to work wrapping, distributing and helping however they could. Joey kept serving the Clauses plates of cookies and cups of milk. They glowed. That was the day I finally understood the spirit of giving, as it illuminated my children.

Over the last seven years, Give A Little Christmas (GAL for short) has changed and grown into a blossoming 501c3. Glenn and Dottie had to retire for health reasons, I became the assistant director and our boys eventually learned the truth about the North Pole: it’s actually Southern. Elves are frequently long-haired teenage boys with slight drawls who look very cute in their fuzzy red hats. GAL serves parts of Wilson, Davidson and Rutherford counties, collecting and distributing toys for families who rarely qualify for any other assistance. We service families with sudden life emergencies of all sizes from income loss due to totaled cars and unexpected injury expenses to big life emergencies like severe health problems, house fires, domestic violence and more. This Christmas we already have over 160 kids signed up.

How The Elves Work

1. Collect! We host toy drives all over and all the time. We even have toy drives in the summer, a list of confirmed drives is included here.

2. Wrap! We throw wrapping parties where “elves” help us wrap the donations and label and bag them for distribution.

3. Party! We throw a big party for the kids to come meet Santa. Not all families can attend, but those who do receive large black bags out the back door while the kids are entertained. This way they wake to toys under their tree without us having to slide down every chimney.

4. Adopt! We welcome companies and organizations to adopt entire families. We especially like to adopt them out when the families have special-needs children whose gifts are rarely in the donation bins.

5. Get Ready For Next Year! We have a donation page where individuals and companies can opt to contribute monthly to our cause. Santa works all year and we do, too.

As a special bonus, all contributions of time, gifts and money are qualifying donations and can get you a nice tax write-off or those much-needed volunteer hours.

To have a box at your business, email givealittlechristmas@gmail.com

Want to be an elf? Visit givealittlenashville.com/give-alittle-christmas

Story by Assistant Director of GAL, Olivia West, Photos Courtesy of Give a Little (GAL)