OUR MISSION

Bedford Santa has the mission that any child in Bedford, Massachusetts, can be visited by Santa Claus and receive a gift on Christmas Eve.

Bedford Santa is an inclusive community program run fully by volunteers that welcomes and invites all interested to participate, regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation, housing situation, finances, or family makeup – either as a recipient or as a volunteer.

OUR HISTORY

It was Christmas shortly after the end of World War II. Bedford Selectman Clayton Morrill watched a father hold back his children excited to go attend a Christmas party at a Bedford church because the family was not church members. Morrill realized the children’s disappointment and resolved to do something about it.

The result is the Bedford Community Santa Program. This is a unique community program that has operated for 80 years under the principles established by Morrill. The chief of these principles is that any child in Bedford can be visited by Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, and be presented with a special Christmas gift.

The program is a large community volunteer effort with thousands of volunteers over the past 80 years.

Expenses are covered by generous donations, no town funds are used for this program. (Learn more about making donations through our donations page.)

GIFT CARD DONATIONS

Tax deductible in kind and monetary donations are used to sustain the program costs with administrative, rental, and supplies costs. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the organization began collecting and funding donations of gift cards for families with financial instability. With the help of Bedford Public Schools, Bedford Youth and Family Services, and the Bedford Police Department, gift cards are distributed to empower parents and guardians identified to purchase gifts for their children (regardless of religious background).

Special collections are set up throughout the season, but gift cards can be dropped off to Bedford Youth and Family Services (on the second floor of the yellow Town Center building at 12 Mudge Way) during office hours at any time of the year.

OUR TEAM

The Bedford Community Santa Program is made up entirely of dedicated volunteers. Each year more than 100 volunteers are needed to run the program. Many volunteers have decades of generational history volunteering with the program, many received visits as children and each year some volunteers are hearing about the program for the first time.

501(c)(3) ORGANIZATION

The Bedford Community Santa program is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (EIN 93-4855563).