Project Santa of Denton completed its 67th year for delivering toys, food and clothing to families and children in need in Davidson and eastern Rowan counties.

Project Santa began 67 years ago with a $25 bonus check.

Every October, volunteers go and visit each family to assess their need for Christmas. Volunteers continue visiting families in need throughout December, even as late as Christmas Eve.

This year, Project Santa provided Christmas gifts to 450 underprivileged children covering 186 families. Specifically, the project delivered Christmas gifts to 216 children in eastern Rowan County covering 86 families.

As a Christian-based organization, Project Santa offers Bibles to those families that may need one. This year Project Santa provided over 350 Bibles to children teens and adults.

Food was also provided to 173 families.

Project Santa received a grant in 2024 from the Food Lion Feeds Grant Foundation in the amount of $2,000 back in June of 2024 which was used to help purchase food from Food Lion. On Dec. 12, eight Food Lion store managers, along with many local volunteers from Denton, assembled 173 food boxes that were handed out and delivered on Dec. 13 and 14.

Clothing was also available for those children and families in need thru the Project Santa clothing closet and food pantry which is open all year round for those in need. This year the Project provided 64 new coats for children and adults and provided new jeans and many other items of clothing. In all over 700 individuals received clothing from the Project Santa Clothing closet during the Christmas season.

For the past 14 years Project Santa has been blessed to utilize the St. Matthews Lutheran Church Boy Scout hut to cover the Eastern Rowan County area from Dec. 21 through Dec. 23.

“Project Santa would like to thank all the individuals, churches and businesses who donated their time, talents, and financial resources to make Project Santa a success in 2024,” a release from the organization said. “Your kindness and generosity helped make Christmas very bright for many underprivileged children and their families on Christmas morning.”