For the eighth year, The Carlson Law Firm spread joy and happiness across Texas for the holiday season with its signature Christmas Miracle. The Christmas Miracle reached new heights this year, though, receiving over 1,600 nominations.
The firm volunteered with Backpack Friends and the Killeen Food Care Center this year, giving back and touching the lives of countless members of the community. Christmas Miracle was also able to touch the lives of two families that needed a little help for the holidays.
Watch Now: Carlson’s Christmas Miracle
The Kirkland Family’s Story – Killeen, Texas
For the Kirkland family, 2025 brought challenges that would overwhelm most households. Paola Kirkland, a lifelong Killeen resident and the heart of her home, has been battling a serious illness that left her bedridden most of the time.
With Paola being unable to work, the family faced many difficult choices between groceries, medicine, and utilities. Matthew Kirkland, her son, wanted to honor his mother’s unwavering dedication to their family by nominating her for the Christmas Miracle.
“I was seeing how much we struggled,” said Matthew. “We never have money for groceries, and I just see my dad struggle, my mom struggle, and it’s a lot. So, I thought of it as an opportunity to nominate them.”
How Carlson Helped
Upon reading Matthew’s touching letter, The Carlson Law Firm’s team got to work ensuring the family would have a good holiday. The family received holiday gifts, clothing and shoes, as well as a $500 HEB gift card every month for a year to help with groceries. Their vehicle also received new tires, and the children were gifted a trampoline.
“It means the world because the last year has been really hard for all of us, especially the kids,” said Paola. “And this is our Christmas miracle. It has made their hearts filled with joy and believe that miracles do happen.”
Ellis Air Systems in Killeen was also generous to repair the family’s broken air conditioner, which had been that way for years. Carlson’s attorneys and staff also helped the family decorate a Christmas tree to give their home a joyful atmosphere.
“It’s a blessing for us, and a blessing for them,” said Managing Partner Craig Carlson. “It’s what our firm is all about: Helping people.”
The Nolasco Family’s Story – Killeen, Texas
The Nolasco family of six came to Killeen from Colorado a few years ago in search of a lower cost of living. It was a difficult decision, because it meant leaving family and friends behind.
Unfortunately, the family has struggled to keep up with household expenses while supporting their children’s participation in soccer at the Central Texas Coyotes Academy, a local program sponsored by The Carlson Law Firm. The mission of the Academy is to be the first free soccer academy in the area, with the Nolasco boys playing on a scholarship.
How Carlson Helped
To help the Nolasco family, The Carlson Law Firm provided a $500 gift card each month for a year, along with toys, shoes, and clothing. The firm also gave the family a new kitchen table to sit everyone around, a gift that brought tears of joy to the family.
Sonia Nolasco said, “When I saw they had the table for my family, it was very emotional, because we have been trying to buy a table for three years.”
Despite portable soccer goals to practice at home, the children said the table was their favorite gift and how excited they were to eat dinner that night. The Carlson team also decorated a Christmas tree for the family, helping to create holiday memories that will last.
Backpack Friends – Austin and Round Rock, Texas
Beyond supporting individual families, The Carlson Law Firm partnered with Backpack Friends, an organization committed to ending weekend hunger for children across Central Texas. Founded in 2014, Backpack Friends has delivered over 190,000 weekend food kits to students in need.
“We started out by helping individual families and we’ve been expanding to help organizations to make a greater impact in our community,” said Cheryl Miller, a partner at Carlson. “This year we have helped over 800 people.”
What Did Carlson Do?
Carlson volunteers helped pack food kits for 450 students and donated just as many LEGO sets and drawing tablets, with the goal to provide nutrition and creative learning opportunities.
“The Carlson Law Firm has been a huge partnership for us. Their donation of $10,000 this year will enable us to feed 2,000 more kids throughout the entire school year,” said Tom Cottar, Co-Founder & CEO of Backpack Friends. “One of the things we love about Carlson Law Firm is their heart for serving the community…They’ve had such a history of partnering with the community and making a difference.”
Food Care Center – Killeen, Texas
As part of Christmas Miracle, the Carlson team also spread holiday joy to families visiting the Killeen Food Care Center. On a surprise gift day, clients were greeted by staff and received blankets, board games, reusable grocery bags, and $40 gift cards.
“We love serving families in need. It’s just part of our mission to serve people. We hire people because they’re good people with good hearts that want to serve others,” said Lisa Griffin, COO of The Carlson Law Firm.
The day was filled with laughter, tears, and excitement as families received gifts that went beyond basic necessities.
“Not only do they just come in just on one day, but they come throughout the year, and they provide joy and hope for the people that sometimes may not see it in a tangible form,” said Dr. Natasha Sunday Clarke, Executive Director of the Food Care Center.
A Holiday Season of Giving and Community
Through its 2025 Christmas Miracle, The Carlson Law Firm aspired to give back more than just gifts. Christmas Miracle is about building hope in the community and supporting families in need.
By partnering with organizations and hands-on volunteers, the firm’s impact continues to grow every year. That’s why they received 1,600 nominations this year alone, and it shows the firm’s dedication to Central Texas families.
“It’s a blessing to help others,” said Craig Carlson. “We try to use our firm as an outreach to help our communities, and it’s as much of a blessing to us as it is to the people we’re helping.”
Having given to hundreds of families in need, Carlson’s Christmas Miracle shows that holiday miracles are possible when a community comes together.
