It can be hard, sometimes, to look at the state of the world and not feel helpless. But for “action-oriented” people like Great American Family star Jen Lilley, Christmas is the perfect time to get off the sidelines and join efforts to help people in need. And thanks to the company she co-founded, Christmas Is Not Canceled, gives fans have a special way to give back this season alongside the actress.
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“I started Christmas Is Not Canceled because of the feeling I’m feeling right now, which is helplessness,” Lilley said in a recent social media post. “I do feel that every child deserves Christmas memories or holiday memories with their family, and I feel that it’s really nice to be able to put your anxious energy into doing something good for other people.”
Christmas Is Not Canceled combines the spirit of generosity that is synonymous with the holiday season with festive fun that includes many of your favorite Christmas movie stars. This Christmas, the goal is to provide 25,000 toys for children in need through various fundraising efforts, including Christmas-themed classes and interactive celebrity experiences, Toys for Tots contributions, and Christmas Is Not Canceled merchandise.
One recent event was A Very 90s Christmas, which included popular 90s stars like Joey Lawrence, Danica McKellar, Andrea Barber, Dave Coulier and Marla Sokoloff. But there are dozens of other events happening over the next couple of months that fans can register for that feature popular Great American Family stars, including Jesse Hutch, Paul Greene and Trevor Donovan.
“I think that it’s a great way to come together with people and have some peace and some joy and feel like you’re doing something if you’re feeling anxious or paralyzed about all the stuff that’s going on in the world,” explained Lilley, who will star in a "Paris Christmas Waltz" for Great American Family during its Christmas campaign, which kicked off October 13.
And while Christmas Is Not Canceled just launched its toy fundraiser on October 25, as of this writing, it has already raised more than 3,000 high quality toys for vulnerable children!
“We give bikes, we give roller skates, we give Squishmellows, we give Legos,” Lilley noted. “We really make sure that these are toys that my own children would want to receive and that a parent wants to give their child.”
Read Also: Movies that Inspire Giving and Serving Others
In fact, Christmas Is Not Canceled works directly with Toys for Tots to help ensure that the toys get into the right hands.
“When you bring a Marine to tears, you’ve done something right,” the actress said. “The way Toys for Tots is set up is, they give the gift to the parents and then the parents get to give the gift to the child, which I think provides a lot of dignity.”
If you’re looking to enrich your Great American Pure Flix holiday streaming this season, take a minute to head on over to the Christmas Is Not Canceled website and find out how you can help give back to kids in need while celebrating with some of your favorite Christmas movie stars.
And remember, our Christmas campaign on Great American Pure Flix will begin November 1, with a full eight weeks of Christmas movies for the whole family!
Photo credit: Facebook.com
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