Jen Lilley revives Christmas toy drive with goal of 20,000 gifts

On Christmas Eve, most kids wake up, skip breakfast, run down the hall and look under the tree for the gifts Santa left behind. For most of them, the wrapping paper is there. For some, it isn’t, and the morning goes quiet in a way no parent forgets. Not every parent can afford a present, and actress Jen Lilley, who is a mum of five, understands what that means. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she started the Christmas Is Not Cancelled toy drive, which has turned into something much bigger than she expected. Her goal this year is to provide 20,000 presents for children in need, and the campaign is backed by a $30,000 donation from podcaster Shawn Ryan towards bikes and scooters, items Lilley says are often the hardest to source. The campaign kicked off on 1 November and will run through 13 December, People reported.The campaign started as a jokeThe idea started almost by accident. During the pandemic, Lilley told a friend that Christmas had better not get cancelled, then realised that for plenty of families, it might be. The organisation began “as a joke during the pandemic”, Lilley told the outlet. “I told a girlfriend, ‘They’d better not cancel Christmas,’ and then it hit me that for so many families, it actually might be. As a mum of five and a child advocate, I couldn’t stand the thought of a child waking up on Christmas morning to nothing and wondering if they’d landed on the naughty list,” she recalled.The initial goal was to provide 10,000 presents for children in need. The campaign set out to achieve a single goal: no child should have to wonder whether they had landed on the naughty list. The campaign was undoubtedly a success. The drive grew steadily through 2021, 2022 and 2023, eventually distributing around 25,000 toys and books each Christmas.“What I never expected was how much it would mean, not just to the recipients, but to the people giving. So many of us felt like what we had to offer wasn’t enough to make a difference. But it was! Sure, most people couldn’t give $1,000, but a lot of people could give $15 for a book. But they didn’t just give a book! They joined thousands of strangers from all across the country, and together, those books and toys added up to more than 10,000 presents.” The campaign then paused for two years.Reviving the campaignLilley is now reviving the campaign, with a target of 20,000 presents. “I honestly haven’t stopped smiling. Bringing Christmas Is Not Cancelled back feels like my own Christmas miracle,” the actress told the outlet, expressing her excitement about the revival. This year, there is one structural change. The programme is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which makes donations tax-deductible.Podcaster Shawn Ryan has also joined the effort, committing $30,000 towards bikes and scooters. “When I went on Shawn’s show to talk about foster care, he really listened. Now he’s turning that conversation into action. I can’t tell you everything I got for Christmas growing up, but I’ll never forget the year I got a bike. Now, thanks to Shawn, kids who’ve spent Christmas wondering if anyone remembered them will wake up to a bike with their name on it,” the actress revealed.The campaign works with Toys for Tots. But here’s the best part: parents get to choose the gifts themselves, so on Christmas morning, the presents arrive from Mum and Dad! “No parent wants to tell their child they couldn’t afford Christmas,” Lilley said. The arrangement allows parents to retain their dignity while their children continue believing everything is fine.