Foster Elves Bring Christmas Magic to Davidson County Children in Care
By Antionette Kerr | Davidson Local
For nearly two decades, Mara Lovejoy has been quietly leading a group of volunteers known as the Foster Elves, ensuring that children in foster care wake up to something special under the tree each Christmas morning.
“I don’t know, I just felt like I needed to do something,” Lovejoy said. “So I started the Foster Elves — and all we do is purchase Christmas gifts for foster children in Davidson County.”
The grassroots effort began when Lovejoy and her husband were foster parents. After seeing how one of their foster children received what she described as a disappointing gift from a donor program years ago instead of the toy the child had wished for — she decided to take matters into her own hands.
“That was the last year we signed up for anyone else to provide gifts,” she said. “When we stopped fostering due to my husband’s health, I contacted DSS and said, ‘Can we help do this?’”
Anonymity and Dignity at the Heart of Giving
The Foster Elves program has grown from 20 children its first year to dozens of wish lists now handled annually by friends and family volunteers. Each participant receives a child’s list with clear instructions: “Get exactly what they ask for. No substitutions.”
“All the gifts are individually wrapped and tagged,” Lovejoy explained. “When those gifts go to a home, that child might have three or four gifts under the tree — all bought and paid for by someone they don’t even know. The tags have the child’s name and say from Santa. We get absolutely no credit.”
She makes it clear that preserving the children’s dignity is non-negotiable. “I had a lady tell me she wanted to personally deliver the gifts and watch the children open them,” she recalled. “I told her, ‘That’s going to make you feel great — but it’s going to make them feel awful.’”
From Fostering to Fellowship
Before founding Foster Elves, Lovejoy and her husband served as foster and respite parents — providing temporary care for children so full-time foster families could rest, travel, or handle emergencies. “We had children for a week while foster parents went on mission trips or dealt with family emergencies,” she said. “It really fills a need.”
Respite care requires licensing and background checks, but she says many people don’t know the option exists. “I have people say, ‘I’d love to be a foster parent, but I can’t do it full-time.’ And I tell them — there are other ways to help.”
Holiday Giving With Purpose
The program’s model of anonymous generosity resonates deeply in a world where giving can sometimes feel performative. “If you can’t do this anonymously,” Lovejoy tells prospective donors, “thank you — but you need to find someone else to help.”
As Davidson County families face the challenges of the season, Lovejoy and her team continue to operate with quiet consistency and heart. “You really get it,” she said after reflecting on the purpose behind her work. “If you’re doing it for the right reason — that’s what matters.”
How to Help
Community members who wish to sponsor a foster child’s Christmas wish list or donate to the program can contact Foster Elves of Davidson County at davidsoncountyfosterelves@gmail.com.
