![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/lebanon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/06\/Story-1-photo1-5-1024x683.jpg\")
\u201cHe looked just like Santa Claus,\u201d Midgett said. \u201cHe said he wanted to throw a party for kids in shelters. So we did. We pulled it off in two weeks with Grand Ole Opry singers and hit songwriters doing Christmas carols. It was magical.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The program has continued to grow thanks to community support, events, and a dedicated network of volunteers. One of our biggest community partners is Shiloh Music Center. They accept donation drop-offs all year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One fundraiser is “Cocktails with Santa,” a grown-up spin on the traditional “Breakfast with Santa,” held each December. Other events include murder mystery dinners, craft fairs, and toy drives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everything collected goes into what Midgett calls “Santa\u2019s Workshop,” a storage space filled with gifts for children ages 0 to 18. Volunteers like Midgett\u2019s assistant, Jera Peak, help organize toys and manage fundraising logistics year-round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHonestly, everything I do benefits the charity in some way,\u201d Midgett said. \u201cI even started a magazine to help promote it. And nobody gets paid \u2014 we\u2019re all volunteers. It\u2019s a labor of love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Midgett\u2019s family is deeply involved, from her husband, Brian, to her children and grandchildren. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI honestly couldn\u2019t do this without my family. Jimi, my oldest, will drop everything to help load a truck full of toys. Bronson and Wyatt will stop right in the middle of a basketball game to unload a carload of toys. Tayler and Jay, my daughters-in-law, jump in and help however they can,\u201d said Midgett. \u201cMy younger sons, Robby and Tommy, and my husband spent hours writing the murder mystery for our last fundraiser, and they move hundreds of toy bags every Christmas. My mom and sisters are always working behind the scenes to make sure everything comes together. They all pitch in without being asked, by volunteering and making desserts. I\u2019m just so grateful for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One story that stands out for Midgett is one that happened on Christmas Eve when a mother reached out after leaving a dangerous relationship. Her children\u2019s gifts had been left with their father, who, she found out, had sold them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cChristmas morning, we got up early and loaded toys from our storage so her kids would still wake up to gifts from Santa. That\u2019s what we do. We help Santa out. He appreciates it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, \u2018Give A Little Christmas\u2019 is reviving a pre-COVID-19 tradition: a children\u2019s Christmas party where kids can meet Santa, enjoy cookies and crafts, and parents can pick out clothes and decorations in a separate room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s all about keeping the magic alive,\u201d Midgett said. \u201cThe kids never know they\u2019re getting charity. We\u2019re just here to make sure Santa shows up no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The charity is always in need of volunteers, sponsors, and especially toys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe need people to attend our events, donate new, unwrapped toys, sponsor families, and help with fundraisers,\u201d Midgett said. \u201cBasically, every event I hold, I ask guests to bring toys!\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SINCE 2012, Krys Midgett has made it her mission to ensure that no child goes without the magic of Christmas. Through her nonprofit, Give A Little Christmas, she and her community of volunteers help families facing emergencies such as illness, job loss, or domestic violence experience the joy of the holiday season. \u201cThis past year […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":22680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/lebanon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/06\/Story-1-photo1-9-1024x683.jpg\")