First established during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent children from waking up empty-handed, the campaign initially targeted 10,000 gifts before growing through grassroots giving. The revived effort runs from November 1 through December 13, supported by a $30,000 donation from podcaster Shawn Ryan to supply bikes and scooters. Working alongside Toys for Tots, the initiative lets parents directly select presents so they can give them to their children themselves. This intentional structure aims to safeguard parental dignity while preventing kids from worrying that financial hardship placed them on the naughty list.
Key points
The grassroots program partners directly with Toys for Tots to assist families facing eco…: The grassroots program partners directly with Toys for Tots to assist families facing economic hardship.
Parents are empowered to personally choose and give the gifts to protect their dignity du…: Parents are empowered to personally choose and give the gifts to protect their dignity during the holidays.
The project originally began during the pandemic and previously scaled up to distribute r…: The project originally began during the pandemic and previously scaled up to distribute roughly 25,000 items each Christmas.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
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.
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