Arvada’s Santa House holds its 10th Christmas

For 10 years, it’s been a community of giving.

This year, the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth (AWRSAY), which has hosted the Santa House donation center to provide low-income families with Christmas presents, is kicking off the event at its new location in the Arvada Marketplace, 7450 W. 52nd Ave., Suite V.

“We’ve grown in our relationships with the community and that’s the biggest thing I’m grateful for,” Duane Youse, founder of the Santa House, said of its tenure in the city. “There are a lot of stories and lessons learned here, but the chance to serve these families is very meaningful.”

The program will support 17 schools in Arvada and Wheat Ridge this year and give nearly 2,600 children presents to open on Christmas morning.

“The city council is truly honored to partner with the organizers of Santa House,” Arvada Mayor Marc Williams said. “In addition to assisting with the store location, our city employees have been extremely generous contributors to the program. To me, Santa House truly embodies the spirit of the season and reflects the incredibly caring nature of the Arvada community.”

To qualify for Santa House, families must bring their school’s voucher (given to students in November), a current form of identification and a piece of mail to verify their financial status. Families will be walked through the house by an elf, who will be their personal shopper helping them choose gifts from among books, gloves and hats, games, toys, Christmas decorations and more.

“We all live in Arvada and think things are good for everybody,” said Joel Folk, a volunteer with the organization. “This is another example that not everyone has it as good as somebody else.”

Organizations from across the city have offered tables, wrapping paper, toy drives, volunteers and more, something both Folk and Youse said they couldn’t do without.

“My biggest take-away is what a process it is to do this and what it takes,” Folk said. “It takes terrific community involvement and effort by our volunteers … It’s a good feeling to have the community support.”

Santa House is open for donations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday through Dec. 19. Money, toys, clothing and books are welcome.