Hallmark actress Jen Lilley has lots to celebrate these days like the success of her “Christmas is Not Cancelled” initiative where people team up to raise money for a noteworthy cause.
Lilley, whose Instagram bio says, “I love Jesus & people,” recently shared that over 2,000 backpacks were collected and stuffed with much-needed supplies for children in foster care.
“Here are some of the friendly faces of those who helped @christmasisnotcancelled put together over 2020 backpacks filled with school supplies for children in foster care,” she wrote on Instagram. “We’re so grateful for this beautiful community!”
The 38-year-old is focusing on a project called “Camp Christmas” in July. The campaign aims to send thousands of children in foster care back to school with all the supplies they’ll need for a successful year.
“Kids who are at risk, homeless, or in foster care, so many of them say school is their safe place,” she recently told the Hallmark Channel. “So many of them don’t graduate high school, so it’s really important to set them up for success.”
Lilley noted that registration for Camp Christmas opens on June 15.
Helping children who are waiting for their forever home is something that Lilley has a close connection with.
People magazine reports that Lilley and her husband Jason Wayne have adopted three children: Kayden, 5, and Jeffrey, 3, and daughter Julie, who is almost 3.
And the couple recently welcomed their first child together, Jacqueline “Jackie” Grace, on May 12.
“Jackie means ‘God will protect her,’ Grace means ‘God will empower her,'” said Lilley.
“This was a surprise pregnancy during new COVID variants and ramp-ups,” she continued. “I hadn’t taken any prenatal vitamins, I was under a lot of stress, and with my history of miscarriages, I had to trust that God would indeed protect and empower her through the pregnancy and that was absolutely true for the insane delivery!”
The actress explained that the rest of the children were excited to have a new sister.
“Kayden and Jeffrey very much understand,” Lilley told People. “It’s also been super helpful to kind of start talking to Kayden a bit about adoption, which has been great. Because he says, ‘So when I was in your belly,’ and I’m like, ‘Okay, let me talk to you about that.’ So it’s been a really wonderful introduction to explain adoption to him. That’s been awesome and he’s really excited.”
Lilley has starred in dozens of TV shows and movies like “The Book of Esther,” “Revelation Road,” “Off the Menu,” “Snowkissed,” “Where Your Heart Belongs,” and “Royally Wrapped for Christmas.”
To find out more about Camp Christmas, click here.
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