Mission Statement
Our mission is to collaborate with local trustees and organizations to prevent evictions, foreclosures, utility disconnections, food insecurity, and joyless holidays. As a last-resort nonprofit, we step in when other programs fall short, ensuring families receive critical support during times of financial hardship. By addressing these urgent needs, we strive to reduce the long-term impact of financial instability, particularly on children, while alleviating the burden on local trustee programs. Through our work, we aim to foster a culture of care and support within our communities—both during the holiday season and year-round—creating lasting, positive change for families in Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties.
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 and mutual respect.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Since the original founders' move to Indiana after COVID, we have served 264 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! These new communities continue to show incredible love and care for their neighbors. It’s been so supportive the organization took a leap of faith and expanded the original mission! Why shouldn’t Christmas spirit last all year round?
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.
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, was essential to ensure we could continue providing comprehensive support to families all year round.
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.
As we grow we hope to add more to our board!
Today, Santa Delivers is more than just a charitable organization; it is a testament to the power of community and the impact of believing in our community.
Santa Delivers All Year Round is dedicated to closing the financial gaps for families in crisis across Northwest Indiana. We believe the spirit of Christmas and joy should last all year, not just one season. Our mission is to prevent homelessness, utility shut-offs, and food insecurity, making sure every child enjoys their childhood with year-round joy. Our vision is to ignite community spirit all year round and build a stronger economic future by bolstering local resources and driving lasting, positive change throughout the entire year.
Our next milestone…..
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. By contributing, you help Santa Delivers All Year Roun become a vital supporting organization, alleviating the strain on these services and enhancing the support available to our struggling community neighbors in desperate need!
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.