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\u201cWe narrowed our niche through the years,\u201d she said. \u201cNow we take care of kids who are in emergent need. Their families normally have the means to provide Christmas, but something unexpected happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI remember it like it was yesterday,\u201d she said. \u201cHis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Volunteers found one, cared for it, and delivered it personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe fed it, took it to the vet, got its shots, babied this little kitten,\u201d West said. \u201cMoments like that stay with you forever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But some of the most powerful stories aren\u2019t about presents, she said, but about healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe put two and two together, and it was just such an amazing moment,\u201d West said. \u201cTo see her thriving and to come together again later, that\u2019s when you realize how much this matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since West married into the Hedges family, her husband, Paul, and his entire family are also heavily involved in the charity\u2019s work. Their family business, Shiloh Music Center, serves as a major hub for donations and holiday activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe students and their parents adopt families from our tree and bring presents in,\u201d West said. \u201cShiloh donates guitars and helps us get things going. We\u2019re even starting a musical gift registry for kids who request instruments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The holiday season transforms the store into a center of generosity and celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe decorate the store, and my mother-in-law, father-in-law, husband, and kids are all involved,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re worn out, but we\u2019re giving to so many people together. It\u2019s always magical.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe became best friends instantly,\u201d West said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That friendship would later spark both creative collaborations and charitable work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe both have ADHD and creative brains,\u201d she said with a laugh. \u201cKrys can talk and make friends with anybody and get people excited. I can organize it all. Those are our superpowers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Music remains one of West\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt crosses over a lot,\u201d she said. \u201cThey intersect constantly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her upcoming Christmas album will directly support Give A Little Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cChristmas songs are one of the most challenging forms of music because so much has already been said,\u201d West said. \u201cFinding a new way to say something about Christmas is a challenge I love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n One song was inspired by rocking her children to sleep and explaining the meaning behind traditional carols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hope to see a day where it grows so big that we can support a couple of single moms with administrative jobs,\u201d she said. \u201cThat would be amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, West measures success not in numbers but in changed lives and strengthened families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you\u2019re doing what you love, you never have to work a day in your life,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s just sharing the love, having a big heart, and wanting to let as many people into it as possible.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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 \u2014 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":23728,"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":[6,70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","category-lebanon"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/lebanon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/4-3-1024x683.jpg\")
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