Dear Friends,
Thirty years. That’s how long this incredible community has been showing up for the children of Penny Lane Centers. Since 1995, when I first created Be A Santa, you’ve proven that the sci-fi and fantasy community doesn’t just dream of a better world, you build them, one child at a time.
I won’t pretend this year feels easy. There’s uncertainty everywhere, and I know many of you are feeling stretched thin. But here’s what I also know: the kids at Penny Lane Centers didn’t create the chaos in our world, and they shouldn’t pay the price for it.
These are children who’ve already faced more challenges than most of us can imagine. Many have never experienced a real Christmas. They’re in foster care, residential treatment, or family support programs, not because they did anything wrong, but because life dealt them an incredibly difficult hand. For some, the holidays are just another reminder of what they’ve lost.
That’s where we come in.
For three decades, this community has been crowdsourcing before it was even called that. We’ve had donations come from every corner of the globe—proof that compassion knows no borders and that found families are just as powerful as biological ones.
This year, we have a $10,000 matching gift waiting, but only if we can raise $15,000 first. Every dollar you give will be doubled, making twice the impact for these kids.
What your donation provides:
- Holiday gifts that show these kids someone cares
- Warm pajamas and essential personal items for teens
- Holiday parties, decorations, and special dinners
- Books, comics, and games for the residential houses
- The message that they matter—that they’re not forgotten
One young woman wrote to us: “I never had a Christmas because my parents never had any money to buy us anything… You’ve shown me what Christmas is all about.”
That’s what we do. We show kids what community looks like. We show them they’re worth celebrating.
In times of chaos, kindness is rebellion. In times of division, community is resistance.
Whether you can give $5 or $500, whether you can share this with one friend or organize a donation party, you’re part of something that has changed lives for 30 years. You’re part of a community that understands that the values we hold in our favorite stories; hope, loyalty, standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves, those values matter most when we bring them into the real world.
The kids at Penny Lane Centers are counting on us. Let’s show them, once again, that this community shows up.
Every cent goes directly to the kids. Every. Single. Cent.
Please donate at www.beasanta.org today.
With gratitude and hope,
Patricia Tallman
Creator, Be A Santa Program
Volunteer, Penny Lane Centers
P.S. – For those who donate $10 or more, Jason Davis and I have created a special Babylon 5 commentary just for you. Because even as we give, this community gives back.