Louise Locker Elliott
Christmas Magic with Elf Louise
“One person without money, status or a degree can do something that has a major, positive impact on others.”
Louise Locker Elliott
From Snowden: I first came across the story of Elf Louise in Parade magazine decades ago. I was so inspired that I flew to Texas to meet her to interview her and put her story in my first book, Fired Up! How to Succeed by Making Your Dreams Come True. She was warm and gracious and far too humble. She retired seven years ago, but her non-profit lives on and brings gifts to needy children throughout San Antonio every year. May this excerpt from Fired Up! bring joy and light to your heart.
Picture yourself receiving this letter in the mail.
“Dear Santa Claus
I am writing these few words to say hello Santa. And I want you to know the police put my Daddy in jail. And my mother does not have any money to buy my little brother any toys. This year i am only asking for my 2 little brothers. The old one is 3 year’s old and the other one is 1 year old and i would like to tell you about 3 more sister. One of them is 14 and 13 and 12. I am not asking for me but if you have any money left after you buy my sister and brothers presents if you could buy me a little present. And one more thing thank you for reading this letter.”
from Katherine Delgado
P.S. I am 7 years old
Now imagine that you were able to grant the wishes of this little girl and help her Christmas dreams come true. Think of how “FIRED UP!” you would feel to see their joy as they experienced the wonder of Santa Claus. That’s exactly what one woman and her thousands of volunteers have been doing in San Antonio, Texas for 57 years. Louise Locker, fondly known in the community as “Elf Louise,”created her Christmas project when she was just 19 years old. It has been going strong ever since. Her huge heart, loving spirit and unflagging determination make Santa Claus very real to over 60,000 children every year.
It all started about ten days before Christmas in 1969. Like many of us, Louise Locker felt something was missing at the holidays. She watched Johnny Carson (a predecessor of Jimmy Fallon) read children’s “Dear Santa” letters on TV and was deeply touched by the hope and belief in them. They reconnected her with the magic of the holidays. To keep that magic alive, she decided to anonymously answer the letter of a little girl who would not otherwise receive any gifts. The next day, she went to the post office and asked to see the “Dear Santa” letters. There she encountered a formidable stumbling block – the U.S. Postal Service.
Most of us know what it can be like dealing with a government agency; they have strict rules and regulations to follow and rarely bend. Louise Locker encountered the same red tape. The postmaster wouldn’t allow her to open the letters; it was against government regulations. She persisted and asked if there was any way she could read just a few of them. They refused. After numerous requests and sincere heartfelt pleading, the post office relented, and allowed her to read the letters after they opened them.
Louise Locker now had a strong sense of purpose. Perhaps you can remember a time in your life when you were absolutely determined and “FIRED UP!” to do something. You weren’t sure how; you just knew you had to find a way. Such was Louise Locker’s challenge with getting those presents. She really hadn’t thought too much about the actual logistics – her natural spontaneity and desire to give to others had taken over.
Reality hit hard; she had no money and was on a college scholarship. Also, her father had recently died. As Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” In spite of her challenges, she shared the letters with her generous and supportive mother, who instantly caught the spirit. Together, they immediately took ornaments off their tree, and unearthed games and toys from Louise Locker’s childhood, to give to these children.
After calling friends and enlisting their help, Louise Locker turned to people she had never met. She visited the local coffee shop, armed with unbridled enthusiasm and 13 “Dear Santa” letters. As she sat at the counter and chatted with people, she shared her wonderful plan. Then she asked for help. People responded generously with toys, other gifts and a little money. On December 22, she approached the gruff, busy gentleman in charge of the Christmas tree lot and shared the letter from the child who had never had a tree. As he read, his whole face transformed; tears streamed down his cheeks and he said, “This is beautiful. You can have the prettiest tree on my lot.”
Having convinced a rather skinny male friend to dress up as Santa, on Christmas Eve, Louise Locker and her Santa delivered their gifts from the North Pole throughout the poor sections of San Antonio. Much to their surprise, they discovered that none of the families had anything at all for Christmas; everyone was incredibly grateful for Santa’s arrival. None of these people were skeptical, cynical or rude – they all loved the magic and behaved like innocent, trusting little children.
By the time Louise Locker and her Santa arrived at the last house, it was nearly 2 AM. The blurry-eyed parents stumbled to the door; their eyes lit up like children’s, and they responded with open joy. They woke their children and giggled with delight. The mother cried softly as she watched her children happily open the gifts. Clearly flabbergasted but thrilled, she welcomed Santa and thanked him: “I can’t believe you’re here. My kids wrote you early in the year, and they were so excited. They just knew you would come. I kept trying to explain to them there is no such thing as Santa and here you are.“
Throughout all of this, Louise Locker hovered quietly in the background, unnoticed by the families, drinking in their ecstatic reactions. Their gratitude filled her heart with so much love that the Spirit of Christmas truly came alive for her that night. It also started an adventure that would span over half of a century, touching the lives of millions of people all over Texas and the United States.
Today, the Elf Louise project works with 4500 volunteers and delivers 30,000 gifts a year, serving disadvantaged families all over San Antonio, Texas. In the 57 years it’s been in existence, over 1 million children have been served. Louis Locker started with a tiny dream that grew to have a huge impact. Louise Locker has a number of amazing changemaker qualities, not the least of which are enthusiasm, determination, fearlessness and joy. Her love for others and her willingness to ask for help have also supported her efforts. Her warmth, accessibility and personal dynamism have captivated many a supporter, from postal workers to wealthy donors. Her tireless energy, unflagging good nature and heartfelt dedication to children are evident in everything she does.
Louise Locker also has a rare kind of purity; she absolutely believes in the goodness of all people and the magic that can be present in your life every day, when you choose to look for it. That kind of belief and passion is highly
contagious and refreshing in today’s world. Louise Locker is like a spark that lights the flame of hope in the hearts of both adults and children; her own light burns very brightly.
Throughout her life, Louise Locker has advocated for:
underprivileged children
disabled children
generosity at Christmas
the San Antonio community
Lessons from Louise Locker’s Life:
Ask for Help: You’re at the cash register at a toy warehouse. You have 750 Raggedy Ann® dolls, 900 Barbie® dolls, 3000 stuffed animals, 1500 model airplanes, 5000 racing cars, 1000 children’s books, 500 Barney® dinosaurs, and 10 carts full of baseball and basketball equipment. The total is $42,525, and this is your third trip this week. Where is next week’s cash coming from? Elf Louise faces that kind of dilemma every year for eight weeks. Fundraising, the core of any non-profit project, is an ever-present challenge, in spite of publicity and donations. Over $200,000 is required annually to service the families. How does an all-volunteer organization raise that kind of money? By asking for help. Louise Locker enlisted many different groups to help fund her program. She knew she couldn’t do it alone.
Overcome Rigid Bureaucracy: Part of the challenge with a new community program is finding out who to help. At the beginning, it was nearly impossible to get a few letters from the post office. Today, the post office turns over all the “Dear Santa” letters to her each year. Working with 50 different agencies around the city, all letters addressed to “Dear Santa” get answered. The computer records identify the number of children in each family according to their age. This is a vast improvement over the original process of sifting through handwritten letters done in the early days.
Maintain the Magic: Louise Locker’s greatest desire is to keep the magic alive in the project. That’s her core value – regardless of how big the project becomes, or how many children are reached. To Louise, the magic of Christmas is expressed by the exuberance and spontaneous joy that erupts from volunteers as they lovingly wrap, tag, and prep packages. At Elf Louise, buttons and hats help the volunteers stay “FIRED UP!” They wear T-shirts with slogans like “Ask me if I’m an Elf” and share the joy.
Action Steps You Can Take:
- Pick one child to support in 2026, whether as a mentor, a big brother or big sister. A little encouragement can go a long way.
- Ask others for help with a project that is meaningful to you.
- Consider how you can maintain enthusiasm on a group project at work or at home. What would fire up your people?
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