Programs and family assistance

Christmas assistance

Our Christmas program helps local families provide gifts and essentials for their children. Parents, grandparents, and other caregivers can apply for children newborn through age 13 who live in Dade County, Georgia, or the nearby communities of Higdon and Bryant, Alabama.

The 2026 application period runs from October 15 through November 27, with Christmas distribution on December 23. Use the Christmas assistance application to tell us about your household and children. The application collects your address and contact information so our volunteers can review your request and follow up.

In 2025, we provided Christmas assistance to 246 children from 117 families. Donated toys, food, clothing, and other essentials help us respond to each family's needs. Financial gifts help fill gaps in the supplies donated by our community.

Monthly food and bread assistance

Food assistance is part of our work throughout the year. We provide monthly food and bread assistance and emergency food boxes for families in our community. These programs help households facing a difficult month or an unexpected need put food on the table.

Call or email Trenton Santa Train to ask about the next food distribution or an emergency food box. Tell us which community you live in and how we can reach you. We will discuss current availability and the arrangements for receiving assistance.

Individuals, churches, businesses, and community groups can support this work by offering food or organizing a collection. Contact us before collecting or bringing items so we can explain current needs and coordinate delivery.

Thanksgiving meal assistance

Our Thanksgiving meal assistance helps families facing financial hardship share a holiday meal. It is part of our wider food support for households in Dade County, alongside monthly food and bread assistance and emergency food boxes.

Contact our team to ask about Thanksgiving assistance, current arrangements, or how to help. We can explain the next step for your family and discuss the food donations and volunteer support needed for the season.

If your workplace, church, or community group would like to collect food, please coordinate with us first. Knowing what is being collected helps us match donations with current program needs.

School supplies

Preparing children for school can add pressure to a household's budget. Our school supply program helps local families with backpacks and supplies so children can begin the school year with the items they need.

Families can contact Trenton Santa Train to ask about the program and current availability. We will explain the arrangements for assistance and how to stay informed about the next distribution.

Donors and volunteers help collect, organize, and prepare supplies. Use our item donation form to offer school supplies, or contact us about organizing a collection with your business, church, or community group.

Family support and community resources

A family's needs do not always fit a holiday or school calendar. Our family support and community resource work gives local households a way to ask for help and discuss the practical challenges they are facing.

Contact our team with a brief description of the assistance you are looking for and a way to reach you. We can discuss our programs and resource connections in the community. This work includes supporting parents, grandparents, and other caregivers raising children.

We welcome conversations with churches, businesses, service organizations, and other community partners. Sharing information and coordinating support helps us understand where families can turn and how our charitable programs can help.

Planned community resource center

The Trenton Santa Train Community Resource & Family Support Center Project is our plan for a permanent place to serve local families. We currently work from shipping containers while continuing our charitable programs and raising support for a permanent home.

Our plans include space for food distribution, family essentials, resource connections, meetings, and continued Christmas and school supply assistance. A potential property has been identified, but the property has not yet been secured and the center is not open.

The permanent home campaign supports this planned project. Individuals, businesses, foundations, churches, and other partners can contribute or contact us to discuss support for the center.

Organize a food, toy, or school supply drive

Collecting needed items is one way for a workplace, church, club, or group of neighbors to support local families. Contact us with the type of collection you have in mind, the dates, and a person we can follow up with. We will discuss current needs and arrangements before you begin.

You can also use the website's volunteer or item donation forms to tell us how you would like to help.