Volunteer Helps Spread Cheer in Arkansas

In case anybody’s asking, Derotha McIntosh has the answer: Yes, Black Santa Claus is real.

And she’s helping keep him alive.

McIntosh, a military veteran and AARP Arkansas volunteer, is the head organizer of the Little Rock Black Santa Claus luncheon, a beloved tradition.

Last December, about 800 people attended the event, where children and older residents received gifts and shared a free meal.

“We sit the children with a senior at the table, and it’s wonderful to see the seniors’ faces light up,” McIntosh says. She’s keeping the program going following the June 2023 death of her husband, Robert “Say” McIntosh, who started the Black Santa Claus giveaway decades ago. Robert McIntosh, a restaurant owner and fierce advocate for Black residents, was a spirited and outspoken figure in the community and local politics. He was beloved for giving out toys to children and serving free holiday meals at his restaurant. 

“His thing was that every child in Little Rock ... should have a new bike for Christmas at least once in their life, and a red shiny apple,” McIntosh says. 

Several years ago, the Black Santa program expanded to include older residents of residential facilities around Little Rock and North Little Rock. The change provided a way to share AARP resources with older adults and veterans — an important cause for Derotha McIntosh. 

AARP Arkansas contributed $500 in gifts and food, and assisted with toy collection and gift wrapping last year. The event fostered “a sense of community and inclusion” among attendees, says Ashley McBride, AARP Arkansas state director.

For more information on this year’s event, visit aarp.org/ar.

— Stacey Shepard