ORANGE PARK – The Impact Clay Train continued to gain speed – and its reputation for unifying the community – with a record holiday monthly stop at Grove Park Elementary on Saturday.

There were 147 volunteers to help 271 residents – both records – and it was a great reason for Impact Clay CEO Connie Thomas to join a train dance while Impact Clay’s Director of Operations Michelle Reaves sang “Jingle Bell Rock.”

In addition to providing a free meal, haircuts, mobile healthcare, showers, clothes, food, books, train rides and support for mental health, addiction recovery, free and reduced-cost medical services and life and spiritual support, families could visit and have their photo taken with Santa Claus and The Grinch.

“Santa reached out to us after seeing our flier on Facebook,” said Director of Community Development Brooke Davies. “He contacted us and asked if we’d like him to help. Then, Ascension St. Vincent’s donated stuffed animals for him to give out. None of that was planned. It just all happened. It really turned out to be a special day.’

The Impact Clay Train rotates between three underserved areas of Clay County – Grove Park, Keystone Heights Junior/Senior High and Clay Hill Elementary – on the third Saturday of every month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thomas said the organization will add Green Cove Springs in 2025.

The sidewalk in front of the elementary school was also filled with toys from Toys for Tots, which the U.S. Marines delivered.

"We see a lot of these people every month," Davies said. "Some parents rely on Impact Train for haircuts and other services. We're glad to be there for them."

Santa’s appearance helped Don and Laura Rabchenuk honor their son’s memory as part of their project, Joshua’s Christmas Lights. Their son died of colon cancer in 2019, and they remember him by decorating their home on Penzance Parkway in Middleburg with festive lights.

Reaves saw their Facebook page and invited them to Saturday’s Impact Clay Train.

“This is our first time doing this,” Laura said. “We're a little family in Middleburg that does Christmas lights for our son, and that's where Joshua's lights started. It’s just grown from there. We go where we can, where we can help. It gets us through the holidays.”

The Rabchenuks said they were impressed with the outcome and response at Saturday’s event.

“What we did was very satisfying,” Laura said.