Hello, everyone.
It is that time of year again when I come to you to ask for your help to make Christmas a little brighter for kids living in the shanty towns of my hometown of Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
This will be our 13th year of online fundraising for the project. We first launched this GoFundMe-style campaign back in 2012, and with your help it has become a tradition that thousands of children now look forward to every Christmas.
Each year this project grows a little more. In addition to toys, we now have more volunteers than ever, including local friends, boys/girls scouts, and neighbors who help us collect and distribute used clothing and food for basic needs. It has been amazing to see how many people want to get involved.
That said, I want to be very clear about the focus of this GoFundMe:
This fundraiser is 100% for toys. Every dollar donated here is used to buy new, high-quality gifts for children.
The used clothes and food baskets are organized locally by volunteers. Your donation goes only toward toys so that every child we reach can receive a real Christmas present.
If you are joining us for the first time this year, the recap video from last year shows just how special this day is. From the motorcade and Santa arriving, to kids hugging their new dolls and soccer balls, it really captures what your donations turn into.
What your donation supports
Here is how our project works in practice:
• You donate here on GoFundMe.
• On December 15th, I personally purchase toys from a wholesale supplier in Brazil, usually by December 19th.
• We focus on good quality gifts that kids will truly enjoy, such as dolls, cars and trucks, balls, simple games, and age-appropriate toys.
• On December 25, our volunteer team, along with Santa, forms a motorcade and drives through several low-income communities in Belo Horizonte, handing the gifts directly to children in the shanty towns.
If we do not have enough toys for every child, Santa still stops, waves, takes pictures, and makes sure the kids are happy.
2024 recap and 2025 goal
In 2024, through our online fundraising initiative, we raised $3,790 online. After GoFundMe fees and currency conversion, we were able to purchase 1,000 high-quality gifts in Brazil.
For 2025, my goal is to:
Raise at least $3,250 so we can buy roughly 1,000 or more toys again this year.
A small gift on your side goes a long way in Brazil. For example:
• Around $20 can turn into several toys.
• Larger donations help us reach an entire street or community with enough gifts to go around.
Full transparency
This is a project run by my family and friends and I provide full transparency.
• 100% of the GoFundMe funds are used to buy toys.
• Gifts are purchased locally in Brazil, which helps us stretch each dollar further.
• After the purchase, I share:
• The store receipts,
• A simple spreadsheet showing how the funds were spent
• A recap of how many toys we bought
This information is shared in a Google Drive folder so donors can see exactly how their contributions were used.
Please note: at this time, this is not a tax-deductible donation. We hope to formalize the project as a 501(c)(3) in the future, but for now it remains a personal and family-run initiative with a very simple model.
A quick history of the project
For those who are new here, A True Christmas Project started almost 30 years ago in Belo Horizonte with my uncle, Heleno Dória.
• In the very beginning, Santa walked through the shanty towns on foot, handing out candy and popcorn and taking photos with kids.
• In 1997, Santa began riding a motorcycle through the neighborhoods, bringing small gifts and sweets.
• Over time, this turned into a full Christmas tradition. Today, a motorcade with more than 30 vehicles travels through different communities. Volunteers help organize traffic, keep things safe, and distribute gifts, clothes, and food.
We began raising funds online in 2012, and 2025 marks our 13th year using online fundraising to support this work (we only paused the in-person event once, in 2020, due to COVID). Since then, friends and family like you have helped us raise over $50,000 and provide thousands of toys to children who might otherwise receive nothing at all for Christmas.
Our last 10 years:
2014: $3,715 raised by 125 people
2015: $3,920 raised by 137 people
2016: $6,010 raised by 151 people
2017: $4,780 raised by 120 people
2018: $5,448 raised by 116 people
2019: $5,510 raised by 108 people
2020: Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021: $3,725 raised by 63 people
2022: $4,419 raised by 84 people
2023: $4,744 raised by 116 people
2024: $3,790 raised by 73 people
Photos, videos, and where to follow
If you want to see exactly what you are supporting, please take a look at:
• Facebook: A True Christmas Project
• Instagram: @atruechristmasproject
There you will find:
• Photo albums from past years
• Recap videos of the Christmas Day motorcade
• TV coverage from Brazilian media and even a segment from NBC Boston
The recap video from last year says more than anything I could write here. It shows the motorcade arriving, children running down the street, and Santa surrounded by kids who finally have a toy of their own.
Photos
2024 Photos- A True Christmas Project
2023 Photos - A True Christmas Project
2022 Photos - A True Christmas Project
2021 Photos - A True Christmas Project
2020: Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2019 Photos - A True Christmas Project
2018 Photos – A True Christmas Project
2017 Photos – A True Christmas Project
2016 Photos – A True Christmas Project
2015 Photos– A True Christmas Project
2014 Photos– A True Christmas Project
2013 Photos – A True Christmas Project
2012 Photos– A True Christmas Project
Videos
A True Christmas Project 2024: Recap Video
A True Christmas Project 2023: Recap Video
A True Christmas Project 2022: Recap Video
A True Christmas Project 2021: Recap Video
A True Christmas Project 2020: Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
A True Christmas Project 2019: TV Coverage (enable CC for translation to English) / Instagram Videos
A True Christmas Project 2018: Recap video and interviews
A True Christmas Project 2016: Recap video and interviews
A True Christmas Project 2015: Recap video and interviews
A True Christmas Project 2014: Recap video and interviews
A True Christmas Project 2013: Behind the scenes preparations
A True Christmas Project 2007: Feature on a Brazilian network channel
How you can help
If you feel called to help this year, here are a few simple ways:
• Donate any amount that feels right. Every contribution helps.
• Share this GoFundMe with family and friends.
• If you happen to be in Belo Horizonte on December 25, you are welcome to join us in person. We usually start around 10 a.m. and always need extra hands to carry gifts, organize lines, and keep Santa moving.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for considering a donation. Your generosity is what makes A True Christmas Project work the Christmas magic every year for kids who are living in very difficult conditions.
Thank you very much in advance.
Philippe Cândido
Personal note: The views shared on this page are mine and do not represent my employer. I also do not accept donations from my employer’s vendors or suppliers in order to avoid any conflicts of interest.