Each year students, based on their economic needs from Alvin and Manvel High Schools, are nominated by teachers, counselors, and principals to shop with Alvin Blue Santas. Our event this year is set for December, 2017. Students are paired with a teacher, coach, police officer, judge, business sponsor, individual sponsor, or a Blue Santa volunteer. Each student receives $100 to spend on what he/she would like for Christmas presents to make Christmas a little brighter. The sponsors keep up with the students’ spending, so they do not go over the $100 limit.   Alvin Blue Santa is a nonprofit-origination, and all the items purchased that night are tax exempt.

The Alvin Blue Santa started “Shop with a Cop” in 2000, and in 2006 we expanded to include our own “Shop with a Blue Santa Volunteer.” Everyone on the board is an unpaid volunteer wanting to make Christmas merrier for our students. The night of our shopping, officers from Alvin PD, ACC PD, Alvin ISD PD, Judge Merkel, Alvin High School Coaches, AISD teachers, and local business owners volunteer their time to shop with students. Students are selected from nomination forms submitted by Alvin ISD teachers, counselors, coaches, and administrators.

The reason I continue to help support our “Shopping” for high school students is because I routinely witness struggling parents get items donated for the younger siblings while the older students are left out. Often, the reason they are left out is because they know about Santa, and parents feel it is more important to help the younger ones.

The night of our shopping, I have come to bear witness that the students selected are the TRUE meaning of giving. They share the amount of money they are allowed to spend on their family and make sure they all have something under the tree for Christmas.

During my 10 years of shopping, I’ve had students ask if they could spend their money on food because they do not have food in the house, or shoes for the younger sister who wears Mom’s to school, or students who had a fire that left them without anything, or others ask if they can buy sheets/comforters for their bed and towels for their moms for Christmas.

I remember one senior  boy asked if he could buy garden items such as potting soil and gloves for his dad, who loved to garden. Sadly, when school resumed in January, I was told his father passed away.

I’ve seen students buy Christmas stockings, so they could hang them up because they did not have a tree, and the student bought gum, mints, and beef jerky, so everyone would have something in the stocking. Many students regularly buy under garments, school supplies, school clothes, deodorant, shampoo, toilet paper, and groceries. One year I had a mother of 8 living in a SUV. The student shopping bought food for them, and then they asked to keep the $20.00 balance on the card for Mom to purchase gas.

Last year we had a boy crying while we were in the check out. When we asked what was wrong, all he could say was he had never had anyone be so nice to him before, and he was so thankful he was allowed to buy his family items for Christmas. He did not buy anything for himself. He had most of us volunteers in tears.

Alvin Blue Santa’s goal each year is to take 35 students shopping and 5 families shopping for groceries.   With your help we can do it! Each student that is selected to shop receives a $100.00 sponsorship. We look forward to working with you this year on our Shop with a “Blue Santa Volunteer.” Make donations payable to Blue Santa, PO Box 33, Alvin, TX 77512 Blue Santa is a 501 (c)(3) Tax # 452744903.

Please consider sponsoring a student in need, and sponsor as many as possible. If you have any questions about sponsorship or the program, call 281-331-2583.

PLATINUM - $1000.00   10 students sponsored   

GOLD  -    $500.00   5  students sponsored

SILVER  -   $300.00   3  students sponsored

BRONZE   $200.0    2  students sponsored

Very truly yours,

Denise Stanaland

Program Coordinator