VA toy drive brings Christmas support to Veteran families in Tennessee
By Bailey Breving, Public Affairs Specialist
For the ninth year in a row, VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS) supported Veteran children and families during the holiday season through its annual toy drive.
The program supported 45 Veteran families totaling 96 children across four TVHS campuses — Chattanooga, Clarksville, Murfreesboro and Nashville — by providing donated toys, clothing and other basic-need items ahead of Christmas.
The winter toy drive is organized by the TVHS Veterans Resource Committee, a group housed within TVHS Social Work Service that identifies underserved Veteran populations and develops targeted support initiatives.
“This committee exists to help fill gaps where there is a need,” said Carly Powers, LCSW, maternity care coordinator for the Women Veterans Program and chair of the Veterans Resource Committee. “Social workers work from the standpoint of making sure basic needs are met like food, shelter, stability that way Veterans can focus on other goals.”
How the toy drive program works
Families participating in the winter toy drive program are identified through TVHS Social Work Services, primarily in partnership with TVHS’ Housing and Urban Development - Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) case managers. Children’s first names, ages and gift needs are placed on Christmas trees at four VA TVHS campuses, allowing VA employees to select a child off the tree to shop for. Once the donated gifts are returned, members from social work services deliver the unwrapped gifts to the Veteran families.
“We intentionally leave all gifts unwrapped,” said Stephany Gleadall, LCSW, spinal cord injury coordinator at TVHS and a six-year member of the Veterans Resource Committee. “We provide wrapping paper and tape so parents can wrap the gifts themselves and still have that experience.”
Powers said the approach reflects the core values of social work.
“We’re here to empower people and advocate for them to further their capacity for self-determination,” Powers said. “We want to give them all the tools they need to do that.”
Both Powers and Gleadall emphasized that although families are kept anonymous, the impact can make a world of difference.
“For some families, this may be their only holiday support,” Powers said. “Veterans have expressed, ‘You have no idea how much stress this takes off my plate now that I don’t have to worry about going out and picking items up. I can allocate funds to bills and other things that cause stress.’”
Gleadall said the program is also meaningful for employees who participate.
“This is one of the most anticipated initiatives we do every year,” Gleadall said. “Families look forward to it, and staff genuinely enjoy participating. It gives people a meaningful way to give back.”
More than a Christmas initiative
While the winter toy drive program is seasonal, it represents a broader, year-round effort by TVHS Social Work Services to address basic needs and support Veteran families.
“This toy drive is one of the most requested initiatives this time of year,” Gleadall said. “But throughout the year, we’re also paying close attention to food insecurity and other basic needs.”
Powers noted that although the program is referred to as a toy drive, many donated items meet essential needs.
“Yes, we say toys, but we’re also providing clothing, shoes and coats,” Powers said. “Meeting those basic needs helps Veterans focus on other areas of their lives, including health care and housing stability.”
In addition to the toy drive, the TVHS Veterans Resource Committee coordinates an annual back-to-school supply drive and has supported past initiatives focused on women Veterans, including personal care and hygiene items.
“Being part of this committee has added so much fulfillment to my work,” Powers said. “That sense of joy is something I think is worth sharing, not just during the holidays, but all year long.”
Looking ahead
While the toy drive is a holiday initiative, VA TVHS Social Work coordinates additional family-centered support efforts throughout the year at several of the medical center and community clinic locations. The TVHS Veterans Resource Committee plans to continue its annual winter toy drive and back-to-school initiatives in 2026 while exploring additional volunteer efforts throughout the year, including activities tied to Social Work Month observed every March.
Veterans and families interested in learning about upcoming drives, eligibility information, and seasonal support opportunities are encouraged to contact TVHS Social Work at