Trinidad native’s Give It Forward Santa Drives serves 1,300 children

A local effort led by a Trinidad native delivered holiday relief to more than 1,300 children this season, organizers said, marking the first run of a new outreach called Santa Drives through the nonprofit Give It Forward. The program distributed toys, gifts and other holiday support to families across Las Animas County, drawing volunteers from the community to pack, sort and deliver donations.

The scale of the distribution in a single inaugural effort underscores both the need and the community’s willingness to step in where formal services fall short. For many families, holiday expenses compound ongoing financial strain related to housing, groceries and healthcare. Providing presents and essentials during the holidays can reduce acute stress for parents and caregivers, which public health experts say has downstream benefits for children’s mental and physical health.

Logistics for large-scale toy and gift distributions can be complex in a rural county. Volunteers coordinated routes, collection points and pickup locations to reach families across a wide geographic area. The volunteer-led model kept administrative costs low but also highlighted limits of volunteer capacity when needs are large and consistent. Organizers and community members noted the program’s success while also pointing to gaps that remain outside seasonal efforts, including year-round support for low-income families and better alignment with local social services.

Beyond the immediate boost of toys and gifts, holiday outreach can be a bridge to broader community supports. Programs like Santa Drives create touchpoints where families can learn about food assistance, behavioral health resources and school-based programs. In smaller communities, those connections are crucial because they can be the first step toward more stable services. Public health practitioners emphasize that addressing social determinants of health such as income stability, food security and access to preventive care reduces emergency room visits and improves long-term outcomes.

Santa Drives also raises questions about sustainability and policy. Reliance on nonprofit drives highlights structural shortfalls in safety-net programming and the need for continued investment from local and state agencies. Strengthening partnerships between nonprofits, school districts and county health departments could expand reach beyond seasonal giving and build more resilient supports for children and families throughout the year.

For Las Animas County residents, the success of the inaugural Santa Drives is a reminder of local solidarity and the limits of goodwill alone. The event delivered tangible relief to a large number of children, but it also points to opportunities for lasting change: more coordinated services, stable funding streams and policies that address the root causes of holiday hardship. As Give It Forward and volunteers consider future runs, community leaders and residents will confront whether this kind of outreach can grow into a sustained regional effort that reduces the need for emergency generosity in the first place.