As a Hallmark Channel fan favorite, Jen Lilley has certainly appeared in her fair share of heartwarming Christmas movies. As viewers will recall these have included such yuletide films as “Mingle All the Way,” “Snowkissed” and “Love Under the Mistletoe.”
Meanwhile, she’a also starred in a few Christmas movies for rival Great American Family, including “Royally Wrapped for Christmas,” “Operation Mistletoe” and “A Chrismystery.”
Clearly, this is a woman who knows her way around a Christmas tree, and she’s proving her love of the holidays even further by reviving a beloved tradition for a good cause.
Christmas Is Not Cancelled
After taking a few years off, Lilley is resurrecting her Christmas Is Not Cancelled holiday toy drive, with a goal of giving 20,000 presents to children who might otherwise go without.
As Liley explained in an interview with People, the 2026 campaign — which also provides the opportunity for donors to win some cool prizes — will run through to December 13. And, she adds, for the first time it’s a 501(c)(3) nonprofit program, which makes all donations tax-deductible.
“I honestly haven’t stopped smiling. Bringing Christmas Is Not Cancelled back feels like my own Christmas miracle,” Lilley gushed. “Our supporters never stopped asking about it, and I can’t wait to make Christmas happen for children with them again.”
This year’s effort received a major influx of cash courtesy of podcaster Shawn Ryan, who kicked in $30K toward bikes and scooters — items that Lilley explains are typically the most difficult to get.
The Toy Drive’s Origins
As People recounts, Lilley’s campaign first began in 2020, during the dark days of COVID-19, with the actress explaining it originated “as a joke during the pandemic.”
As she recalled, “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 mom 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. So I started Christmas Is Not Cancelled and set a goal of giving 10,000 presents to children in need.”
That modest effort wound up snowballing as more and more people joined in. “What I never expected was how much it would mean, not just to the recipients, but to the people giving,” she added. “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.”
Christmas Is Not Cancelled continued to grow; by 2023, the organization had expanded to give away 25,000 toys and books each holiday season.
Now, after taking a hiatus for two years, Lilley stated that “our goal is 20,000 presents.”
As in the past, Lilley is teaming up with Toys for Tots.
“One of my favorite things about partnering with Toys for Tots is that parents often get to pick out the gifts themselves, so on Christmas morning, the presents come from Mom and Dad,” she shared. “That matters so much. No parent wants to tell their child they couldn’t afford Christmas. This way, a mom or dad gets to keep their dignity, and a child gets to believe everything is okay.”
Pointing to her recent role in biopic “Jimmy” as the wife of “It’s a Wonderful Life” star James Stewart (played by KJ Apa), she referenced Stewart’s role in the iconic holiday classic by adding, “This Christmas, everyone gets a chance to be someone’s George Bailey.”
For more information on how to contribute, visit the Christmas Is Not Cancelled website.
Hallmark Star Jen Lilley Revives Holiday Toy Drive: ‘It’s My Christmas Miracle’