BEFORE THE stage lights come up or the first notes of a Christmas carol drift through a crowded room, Olivia West is already thinking about connections — connections that can bring families together, and take small acts of kindness and turn them into life-changing moments.
West said music and ministry have never lived in separate worlds. They are woven through her childhood, her family life, and the nonprofit she co-founded, Give A Little Christmas, which has now helped more than 7,000 children experience the magic of the holiday season.
“I’ve always figured that the music was a gift that God gave me, and I had to use it to further His words,” West said. “It’s always been my belief that if you have a skill or a talent that you could use to build a better place, that you should do that.”
West and her close friend, Krys Midgett, launched the organization in 2012 after hearing a story about the joy of playing Santa for children in need.
“It started with just our family members, our siblings, spouses, and kids running around gathering toys, putting boxes in stores,” West said. “It was just us showing up and doing our best.”
That first year, they served children from a homeless shelter. But as they learned more about community needs, the mission evolved. Today, the organization focuses on families facing sudden hardships such as house fires, medical crises, foster placements, and job losses. The moments when Christmas can feel impossible, West said.
“We narrowed our niche through the years,” she said. “Now we take care of kids who are in emergent need. Their families normally have the means to provide Christmas, but something unexpected happened.”
One of her favorite stories goes back to that very first Christmas. Her young son had a broken arm and struggled with the limitations it brought. But when she woke him early to help with the event, his disappointment melted into purpose.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” she said. “His cute little face with his little broken arm in a cast, running around and fetching cookies and milk all day long, just waiting on Santa. That was all he could really do to help, but he was gung-ho about it.”
Another unforgettable moment involved a young girl whose family had lost their home and beloved pet in a fire. The only thing she asked Santa for was a small orange kitten.
Volunteers found one, cared for it, and delivered it personally.
“We fed it, took it to the vet, got its shots, babied this little kitten,” West said. “Moments like that stay with you forever.”
But some of the most powerful stories aren’t about presents, she said, but about healing.
West remembers befriending a woman who later revealed she had once been a struggling single mother who had received charity services. Years later, she was thriving and giving back, helping connect other families in need with Give A Little Christmas.
“We put two and two together, and it was just such an amazing moment,” West said. “To see her thriving and to come together again later, that’s when you realize how much this matters.”
Since West married into the Hedges family, her husband, Paul, and his entire family are also heavily involved in the charity’s work. Their family business, Shiloh Music Center, serves as a major hub for donations and holiday activities.
“The students and their parents adopt families from our tree and bring presents in,” West said. “Shiloh donates guitars and helps us get things going. We’re even starting a musical gift registry for kids who request instruments.”
The holiday season transforms the store into a center of generosity and celebration.
“We decorate the store, and my mother-in-law, father-in-law, husband, and kids are all involved,” she said. “We’re worn out, but we’re giving to so many people together. It’s always magical.”
West said her charity work is inseparable from her music career. The two worlds first collided years ago at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, where she met Krys during an intermission.
“We became best friends instantly,” West said.
That friendship would later spark both creative collaborations and charitable work.
“We both have ADHD and creative brains,” she said with a laugh. “Krys can talk and make friends with anybody and get people excited. I can organize it all. Those are our superpowers.”
Music remains one of West’s most powerful tools for giving back. Whether performing at charity events, leading sing-alongs while volunteers wrap presents, or planning benefit projects, she sees songs as vehicles for service.
“It crosses over a lot,” she said. “They intersect constantly.”
Her upcoming Christmas album will directly support Give A Little Christmas.
“Christmas songs are one of the most challenging forms of music because so much has already been said,” West said. “Finding a new way to say something about Christmas is a challenge I love.”
One song was inspired by rocking her children to sleep and explaining the meaning behind traditional carols.
In the future, a major goal for the nonprofit is to hire paid administrative help, ideally creating jobs for single mothers who need a stable income.
“I hope to see a day where it grows so big that we can support a couple of single moms with administrative jobs,” she said. “That would be amazing.”
Ultimately, West measures success not in numbers but in changed lives and strengthened families.
“If you’re doing what you love, you never have to work a day in your life,” she said. “It’s just sharing the love, having a big heart, and wanting to let as many people into it as possible.” GN
