Roughly 7,000 volunteers passed through a warehouse at Port San Antonio with a collective mission: to make sure some 30,000 local children have gifts under the tree this Christmas.

For a second-grader, Autumn Threlkeld has mad elf skills.

SAN ANTONIO – Not a creature is stirring inside the cavernous warehouse turned Elf Louise workshop. “Never even crossed my mind,” said Bill Harrison, executive director for 30 years at the Elf Louise Christmas Project. Now gearing up for year 52, Elf Louise is seeing big demand. Not even a pandemic can stop Elf Louise from delivery Christmas joy, but there will be some changes. “We are giving out love and understanding and joyful approach to Christmas,” Harrison said.