Our History

The Twelve Days of Christmas, Inc. celebrates 25 years as a volunteer service organization committed to keeping the spirit of the holidays for less fortunate families. Beyond the holiday season, the organization has expanded to serve our communities by ensuring a successful return to school for students by providing uniforms, backpacks and grade-appropriate school supplies. This outstanding service organization is composed entirely of volunteers with 9 chapters located in Houston, Oakland, Washington, D.C., Detroit, New York, Virginia, Chicago, Philadelphia and Atlanta. Our members are a diverse group of distinguished achievers. They are community, business and civic leaders, mentors, activists, and role models who work across various industries. We pride ourselves on our community involvement outside the organization which helps maximize our effort to enrich the lives of others.

The legacy of “parties with a purpose” was founded in 1999 by Gayla Gardner and Donya Gardner of the Houston Chapter. The organization continues to grow and fulfill its mission of sharing our blessings. Donations directly serve the families in need. This organization has provided over 6,000 new toys under Christmas trees, over 1600 Christmas and Easter meals, and over 1,000 children with backpack, school supplies and uniforms. The Twelve Days of Christmas, Inc. works closely with sponsors and supporters. Our mission is to share blessings with others through collective effort, charitable activities, and community involvement. We are committed to remembering the true spirit of Christmas throughout the year, and making a difference with the gift of giving. Our organization’s energy highly impacts lives in the communities served.