Christmas in RVA 2025
‘Tis the season of joy, generosity, and hope!
Each year, Youth Life celebrates the Christmas story and shares the joy of the season with our students and their families. Over the years, we’ve done this in many creative ways, but our favorite tradition has returned — a family-style Christmas dinner where students, parents, and volunteers gather around the table to eat, laugh, and celebrate together.
The evening includes heartfelt moments and festive fun — gifts from anonymous sponsors, on-stage games for parents and kids, a Christmas “store” where children can pick and wrap a gift for someone they love, and much more!
It’s a magical night of community and care — and it takes a village to make it happen.
Find out how you can join the celebration below!
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When you sponsor a child, you’ll help make Christmas unforgettable! Each sponsor anonymously purchases and wraps three special gifts — a high-quality outfit, a pair of brand-name shoes, and a toy or wishlist item (up to $200 total). Your generosity helps a child feel seen, loved, and celebrated on this special night.
Join the joy — learn more and sign up below!
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Christmas in RVA is generously supported through Dunn Deal Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization founded and led by longtime Youth Life friend and Christmas in RVA founder, Joe Dunn.
If you’d like to make a financial contribution to this year’s celebration or future Christmas in RVA events:
Preferred method: Write a check to “Dunn Deal Charities” and give it directly to Joe Dunn or mail it to:
Youth Life Foundation of Richmond
P.O. Box 15202
Richmond, VA 23227If you prefer to give online, you can donate through Youth Life’s website. Simply donate online and write “Youth Life Christmas” in the comments box when checking out.
Your generosity helps make this joyful tradition possible for our students and their families. Thank you!
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This celebration only happens because of our incredible volunteers!
Want to be part of the magic? Check out the volunteer roles and sign up below.
Learn More about Christmas in RVA
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The Story of Christmas in RVA
For many years, Youth Life has celebrated the season with a community Christmas Party. Alongside that, our students were invited to Washington, D.C. for “Christmas with the Greens” (formerly “Christmas with the Redskins”)—a joyful event where they received gifts from sponsors, played games, and spent the evening with Washington Commanders players!
While we were always grateful for the opportunity, the long drive to D.C. on a school night was no small feat. Then, in 2020, the pandemic paused both our community party and the D.C. trip—until Youth Life friends Joe Dunn and Daniel Johnson, along with a few others, stepped up to create something new.
In 2021, they launched Christmas in RVA, a Richmond-centered version of the D.C. event. Hosted at U-Turn, Inc., a faith-based sports complex, it brought together students from Youth Life and other local nonprofits for an unforgettable night of gifts, games, and community fun. Christmas in RVA continued there in 2021 and 2022, growing each year in impact and joy.
By 2023, the Christmas in RVA Committee partnered even more closely with Youth Life to reimagine the celebration. Together, we blended our original community Christmas party with the Christmas in RVA model to create something truly special—a family dinner–style evening where parents, siblings, and volunteers gather around the table for food, games, and the joy of giving and receiving.
Today, Christmas in RVA continues as one of our most beloved traditions—a night filled with laughter, generosity, and the spirit of community that makes Youth Life what it is.
We’re deeply thankful to everyone who has helped this event grow into what it’s become, and we look forward to it every year!
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A Shift Toward Family and Dignity
In 2023, we were thrilled to expand Christmas in RVA to include our students’ families, giving the evening a stronger sense of community and togetherness.
As the event grew, we also took time to reflect on how to best honor our families. While we wanted our students to continue receiving thoughtful, sponsored gifts, we realized it was equally important that parents never feel any discomfort or shame about a stranger providing those gifts.
That’s why, beginning in 2023, all sponsors became anonymous. Sponsors still have the option to attend the event as volunteers, but our focus now centers on the shared joy of the evening—not on who gives the gifts.
We are deeply grateful to our generous “Secret Santa” sponsors for embracing this change and helping us make the night one of dignity, celebration, and love for every family.
