Our Mission
Santa Delivers AYR is on a mission to eliminate ALL the barriers that prevent low-income families in verified need from accessing complete crisis assistance. By partnering with local agencies, we bridge gaps for low-income households in Lake, LaPorte, and Porter Counties with last-resort housing, utility, food, and holiday support—ensuring families receive the full help they deserve so they can stay housed, together, employed and productive members in the community.
Our Vision
Our vision is to provide access to full comprehensive that all low income families deserve.
Our Values
At Santa Delivers AYR we value honesty, integrity, and transparency in all our dealings. We believe in building strong relationships with our clients,sponsors/donors, and partners , based on trust with mutual respect.
Our History: The Beginning
The team at Santa Delivers are driven by a personal passion for making a difference. Originally founded by the humble Troy and Traci Donnelly in 2016, their journey began with 2 families in need and a deep commitment to help struggling families have a Christmas they deserve!
The Inspiration
Troy’s unwavering dedication stems from his own childhood, growing up in a low-income family where his single mother often relied on the kindness of others. Traci’s drive was shaped by her mother’s example of selflessness, even in the face of financial hardship. Despite a tight budget and countless sacrifices, her mom always found a way to give back. Every year, they participated in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree, teaching Traci that true generosity comes from the heart, regardless of your circumstances.
The Obstacles
Troy’s desire to give back was initially met with concerns about their own personal finances, They live paycheck to paycheck and weren’t wealthy with extra funds. However, Traci had unwavering faith in the power of community support.
The Trial Run:
As the then two founders we took a leap of faith, deciding to fund the first families and see how the experience would unfold. The result was heartwarming—parents were brought to tears, and the children were overjoyed. One 11-year-old shared how their mother had said Santa wouldn’t be coming that year, bracing for an empty tree. How amazing it was to be able to create a different reality for that family by truly delivering the Christmas spirit and bringing much unexpected joy to the family. The happiness we brought to those homes affirmed our mission and filled our hearts with purpose. The test run was successful and it was apparent this could have the potential to make an extraordinary impact on the community.
The Impact
Santa Delivers has served over 2,000 families, even during the two original founders's own hardships. With their children by their side, the Donnelly family has made Santa Delivers a cherished tradition. Helping others has become something they all take pride in and truly enjoy, making it a shared family mission.
Covid Did Not Stop Santa Delivers
During COVID, finding community sponsors was extremely difficult. We received negative feedback for suggesting we even continue deliveries during a pandemic. Our then only Santa had to work extra hours due to rising rent and living costs. Despite these challenges, we pressed on.With the invaluable help of the Vogel family, who took on roles as an additional Santa, elf, and gift wrapper, our team grew. The Vogels made a significant impact, helping Santa Delivers deliver to more families. They masked up and we worked in shifts, ensuring that Christmas reached their community despite the pandemic.
Meet the Vogels
The Big Relocation
COVID severely impacted the Donnelly's landlord, forcing them to find a new home that accepted pets. We had long considered moving from Illinois, but the post-COVID rental market’s rising costs really pushed them to the move. After extensive research, we determined that the Duneland School District was the best fit for our autistic son, Duncan, who had been struggling academically in Illinois. The move was daunting, requiring us to rebuild our entire network of sponsors and partners from scratch.
The Growing Indiana Impact
Since the original founders' move to Indiana after COVID, we have served 365 families and growing across Porter, Lake, and LaPorte counties. All of this support has come from individual community sponsorships, local businesses and those who just want to support their neighbors!
A New Mission
Initially, the organization focused on a mission of spreading holiday cheer through in kind gift donations. However, as requests grew for help with evictions, foreclosures food and utility shut-offs, we recognized there was a real need to expand services in order to support our local resources and address these pressing community needs.
It's official
Santa Delivers Is Incorporated as: Santa Delivers ( All Year Round)
We took a huge step in a new direction to formalize our efforts as a domestic nonprofit on August 19, 2024. This step, though challenging and personally funded by the original two founders and was essential to ensure we could continue providing comprehensive support to families all year round.
The Board is Complete
With this legal milestone the organization also added a third board member to complete their non profit board in order to apply for a 501c3. After much consideration and screening, they invited Brittany Rattray to join the board. Brittany has once been touched by our mission and is excited to serve her community back . She has brought lived experience and a passion to see a change for the next generations to come.
A New Mission & Vision
Santa Delivers has grown into more than a charitable organization—it’s a testament to community strength and the power of believing in one another. Santa Delivers All Year Round is committed to closing financial gaps for families in crisis across Northwest Indiana. We believe the spirit of Christmas and the joy it brings should be felt throughout the entire year, not just during one season.
Our vision is to grow strong enough to help prevent homelessness, utility shut-offs, and food insecurity, ensuring every child can enjoy their childhood with year-round hope and happiness. As we expand into new communities, we continue to witness incredible compassion, generosity, and support for verified local needs. That outpouring of love inspired us to expand our original mission—because why shouldn’t the Christmas spirit last all year?
Our greatest inspiration of neighborly love comes from Jesus, who came to save all and remind us that God is with us through every season, not just once a year.
If you got this far , thank you!
Our next milestone…..
Federally Exempt Nonprofit Status!
Santa Delivers then launched a campaign to raise funds for filing as a 501(c)(3) .Thanks to a believing sponsor who helped top off our funds to apply as a 501c3 we are now fully officially a nonprofit. We invite you to join our community team in supporting our local and state-run organizations. These local organizations are struggling with budget deficits left with the ability to only provide partial assistance to families before referring them to other agencies and sometimes guidelines just do not support unique circumstances.
By contributing, you help Santa Delivers All Year Round become a vital supporting organization, alleviating the strain on these services and enhancing the support available to our struggling community neighbors in desperate need!
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.