Need help putting gifts under the tree this Christmas? Several Austin-area organizations help local families with free toys, gifts, clothing, and holiday assistance each year. Whether you're facing a temporary financial setback, stretching every dollar a little further this season, or simply need extra support, there are programs designed to help make the holidays brighter for children.
Because application deadlines often arrive weeks or even months before Christmas and many programs have limited capacity, it's important to apply as early as possible. This guide includes some of the best-known Christmas assistance programs in Austin and the surrounding area, along with information on who qualifies and how to apply.
Operation Blue Santa
Application status: Closed for this year. The program has reached maximum capacity.
For more than 50 years, Austin Police Operation Blue Santa has helped bring Christmas cheer to Austin-area families in need. What began in 1972 when two Austin police officers helped 20 local families has grown into one of Central Texas' largest holiday assistance programs. Today, Blue Santa serves nearly 5,000 families and approximately 13,000 children each year.
What the program provides:
Christmas gifts for children
Holiday food assistance
Support for qualifying Austin-area families
Who can apply:
Families who live within the Austin city limits with an Austin address.
Families in unincorporated Travis County, Hays County, Williamson County, Bastrop County, Pflugerville, Round Rock, Cedar Park, and Leander must apply through their local holiday assistance programs.
Children must be 14 years old or younger.
Children must permanently live in the household (not just visiting for the holidays).
Up to 10 children can be included on one application.
Immigration status is not a requirement.
How it works:
Complete the online application by October 28, 2026. Apply here.
Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis
Approved families pick up their gift packages at their selected location and time.
Round Rock Operation Blue Santa
Application status: Online Applications are open until November 30th, 2026.
Round Rock Operation Blue Santa helps qualifying families in Round Rock provide a brighter Christmas for their children. The program is coordinated by the Round Rock Police Department and community volunteers, who work together each holiday season to provide gifts for local children.
What the program provides:
Christmas gifts for children
Holiday assistance for qualifying families
Support funded through community donations and volunteers
Who can apply:
Families with children under 10, who attend a Round Rock ISD school, a charter school, or are homeschooled
How it works:
Families submit an application by November 30,2026. Apply here.
Applications are reviewed to determine eligibility.
Applicants receive an email within 5 business days to inform you of the approval status.
Gifts are distributed on December 18, 2026
Leander Blue Santa
Application status: Applications are open until December 4, 2026.
Leander Blue Santa helps provide holiday gifts to qualifying families living in Leander. Originally established through a partnership between the Leander Police Department, Hill Country Christmas Bureau, and the Leander Citizens Police Academy Association, the program is now volunteer-run and is in the process of becoming a nonprofit organization.
What the program provides:
Holiday gifts for children donated by the community.
Who can apply:
Families who live within the City of Leander or extraterritorial jurisdictional boundaries of Leander.
How it works:
Complete and submit the online application by December 4, 2026. Apply here.
Applicants will receive a confirmation email from Leander Blue Santa regarding their submission.
If you don't receive a response, contact the program directly at leanderbluesanta@gmail.com.
Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance into the program.
Gifts will be distributed on December 20, 2026.
Cedar Park Blue Santa
Application status: Applications are open until November 20th, 2026.
The Cedar Park Blue Santa program is run by the Cedar Park Police Department in partnership with local businesses, organizations, and community members. The program provides Christmas gifts to help make the holiday season brighter for children in families experiencing financial need. This program is for Cedar Park residents only.
What the program provides:
Christmas gifts for children
Who can apply:
Families children age 14 and under living within the City of Cedar Park
How it works:
Fill out the registration form online. Apply here.
Attend one of the In-Person Registration & Verification Dates to verify your registration.
Required documents:
- Current utility bill showing Cedar Park residency
- Proof of income
- Current photo ID
- Birth certificate or guardianship papers for each child
- Current school enrollment documentation (such as a report card) for each child
2026 in-person verification dates:
- November 2, 2026
- November 5, 2026
- November 14, 2026
- November 18, 2026
- November 20, 2026
All verification appointments are held at Cedar Park Municipal Court, 911 Quest Parkway, Cedar Park. Families must attend one of these dates to complete the approval process.
Lago Vista Blue Santa
Application status: Applications are open through November 6, 2026.
Serving the Lago Vista community since 1989, Lago Vista Blue Santa helps provide Christmas gifts and food assistance to children, families, and seniors in need. The organization works in partnership with the Lago Vista Police Department and, in 2024, provided food and gifts to more than 150 people.
What the program provides:
Christmas gifts for children
Food assistance for families in need
Food gift cards for seniors in need
Who can apply:
Families within the Lago Vista Independent School District service area
Seniors in need within the community
How it works:
Complete the online application by November 6. Apply here.
Required documents:
- Applicants must have a valid driver’s license or utility bill with their current address.
- All students will be verified with their report card or current canvas screenshot.
- Home-schooled children must have their curriculum verified.
Applications are reviewed and verified.
Each registered recipient will receive notification via email of their acceptance and be provided a designated location and time to pick up their gifts on December 6, 2026.
Georgetown Blue Santa Program
Application status: Online Applications are open until December 13th, 2026.
Georgetown Blue Santa is an annual holiday assistance program organized by the Georgetown Police Department. The program helps qualifying Georgetown-area families by providing Christmas gifts for children during the holiday season.
What the program provides:
Christmas gifts for children
Holiday assistance for qualifying families
Support through community donations and volunteers
Who can apply:
Families who live in the City of Georgetown
How it works:
Families may apply until December 13th, 2026. Apply here.
Applications are reviewed for eligibility.
Applicants receive an email with a reference number.
Approved families will pick up their gifts on Saturday, Dec. 19th, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at 3500 D.B. Wood Road, Georgetown.
Pflugerville Blue Santa
Application status: Visit the program website for current application information and deadlines.
Pflugerville Blue Santa is sponsored by the Pflugerville Police Department and supported by the community. The program provides assistance with gifts to families in need during the holiday season.
What the program provides:
Assistance with gifts to families in need during the holiday season.
Who can apply:
Family must reside within the Pflugerville City limits. Please note: Not all residences with a Pflugerville address are located within the Pflugerville City limits.
Requestor must be the parent or have legal custody of the children.
Only children 14 years of age and younger qualify.
How it works:
Families may apply until December 4th, 2026. Apply here.
Applications are reviewed for eligibility.
Applicants receive an email with their approval status.
Buda Blue Santa
Application status: Applications are accepted through December 7th, 2026.
Buda Blue Santa, also known as Shop with a Cop, pairs Buda police officers with underprivileged elementary school children for a special holiday shopping trip at Walmart. After shopping, the children share a meal with officers and community partners, and their gifts are wrapped and delivered before Christmas.
In addition to helping children, the program also provides holiday support for local seniors. Beginning in 2025, Blue Santa expanded its efforts to include a holiday meal for a senior community, a tradition that continues today.
What the program provides:
Holiday shopping experience with a police officer
Christmas gifts for participating children
Gift wrapping and gift delivery before Christmas
Holiday support for local seniors
Who can apply:
Families with children under the age of 16 living inside Buda City Limits.
How it works:
Families may apply until December 7th, 2026, 5pm. Apply here.
Selected children are paired with police officers for a holiday shopping trip.
Gifts are wrapped by volunteers.
Presents are delivered before Christmas.
Travis County Sheriff's Brown Santa program
Application status: Applications open until November 30th or until 2700 applications are reached.
Founded in 1981, Travis County Brown Santa provides holiday assistance to families and elderly residents in Travis County. The program is staffed entirely by volunteers and helps provide food and gifts during the holiday season through donations from local businesses, organizations, and community members.
What the program provides:
Each family receives the following items::
5 gifts (2 toys, puzzle, stuffed animal, and books) for every child 14 and younger in the house. All gifts are wrapped individually and labeled to the child's first name from Santa.
Food box (basic essential non-perishable food items).
$10 gift card to local grocery store.
Who can apply:
Families with children 14 years old and younger living in Travis County.
Elderly residents in need
Travis County Brown Santa does not serve those that live within the city limits of Austin, Pflugerville, Round Rock, Cedar Park, or Leander, or those that live in Hays, Williamson, or Bastrop counties. You must apply directly with those programs.
How it works:
Complete the online application by November 30th, 2026. Apply here.
Applications are reviewed by Brown Santa volunteers.
All recipients will be notified by either phone, text, or email to meet with Brown Santa at the delivery location within their community.
Families receive holiday food and gifts before Christmas.
Project Elf (Dripping Springs)
Application status: Closed for this year. The program has reached maximum capacity.
For nearly 40 years, Project Elf has helped make Christmas brighter for local families in the Dripping Springs area. Families apply to the program and create a wish list for each child. Community members then "adopt" children through Project Elf trees displayed throughout Dripping Springs and purchase gifts from those wish lists.
What the program provides:
Christmas gifts for children
Community-sponsored holiday assistance for local families
Who can apply:
Families with children ages 18 and younger living within the Dripping Springs ISD attendance zone
Children must be pre-registered through Helping Hands
How it works:
Families apply and submit a wish list for each eligible child by October 30, 2026. Apply here.
Community members select children from Project Elf trees and purchase gifts.
Gifts are collected and organized by volunteers.
Parents pick up the gifts on the designated distribution date before Christmas.
Toys for Tots Austin
Application status: Open through December 4, 2026.
Toys for Tots Austin collects new, unwrapped toys each holiday season and distributes them to children in need throughout Burnet, Llano, Blanco, Hays, Travis, Williamson, Bastrop, and Caldwell counties. The program's mission is to help brighten the holidays for local children by providing new Christmas gifts donated by the community.
What the program provides:
New, donated Christmas toys for children in participating Central Texas counties
Who can apply:
Families living in Burnet, Llano, Blanco, Hays, Travis, Williamson, Bastrop, or Caldwell counties
Required documents:
- Proof of residency in one of the program's eight service counties (such as a driver's license, utility bill, lease, or official mail)
- Proof of need, such as enrollment in SNAP, WIC, housing assistance, or another assistance program (not receiving assistance does not automatically disqualify you)
- Proof for each child, such as a birth certificate, school record, or other official document showing the child's name and date of birth
How it works:
Submit an application by December 4th, 2026. Apply here.
Applications are reviewed after the application period closes.
Applicants are notified by December 6th, 2026.
Toys are distributed between December 14th and 18th, 2026.
The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program
Application status: Closed for this year. The program has reached maximum capacity.
Since 1979, The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program has helped provide Christmas gifts for children throughout Central Texas. Families apply for eligible children ages 12 and under, and community donors "adopt" children by purchasing gifts based on their wish lists. In 2022, the program served 11,397 children in the Austin area.
What the program provides:
New toys and games
Clothing and shoes
Gifts purchased by community donors. Donors purchase at least two age-appropriate toys for your child and two items of clothing.
Pre-Christmas gift pickup for approved families
Who can apply:
Families with children ages 12 and younger
Parent or legal guardian must complete the application
How it works:
Applications for Angel Tree Christmas Assistance are open from August 10th through September 30th, 2026. Apply here.
Parents submit a wish list for each child, including toy interests, clothing sizes, and shoe sizes.
Accepted applicants will receive an email with their appointment time in December to pick up their gifts.
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Photo by Clint Patterson on Unsplash.