Foster Mom Turns Home Into ‘Santa’s Workshop,’ Raises $20K to Grant 100 Children's Christmas Wishes

Foster Mom Turns Home Into 'Santa's Workshop' to Deliver Holiday Joy

Jeanne Marie Vallor, a mother of six and a longtime foster parent, has spent the last seven holiday seasons collecting wish lists from children in foster care and turning them into real gifts. This year, Vallor raised $20,000 through a combination of Amazon registry purchases and direct donations via Venmo to fulfill requests for 100 children in the system.

Every item — whether a toy, an article of clothing, or an electronic device — matched a child's specific wish. Vallor says the project requires considerable time and organization: "It takes a lot of time to create the registries and sort through all the lists and sort through all the gifts," she explains. Still, she calls the community response "humbling" and notes that people are eager to help when she announces the fundraiser.

"They jump at the opportunity. They're trusting me to facilitate all of this, and I get to, so I'm very thankful," Vallor says.

Vallor's social channels — which together reach more than 3 million followers across TikTok and Instagram — help drive donations and registry purchases. She distinguishes her program from larger seasonal efforts by emphasizing flexibility: because she runs the operation from her home, which she transforms into a "Santa's workshop," she can accommodate last-minute placements and urgent needs that deadline-driven programs sometimes miss.

"I just got some wish lists today because we had 23 kids come into care today, so there would be no time for planning or prepping," Vallor notes. "This allows children to still receive Christmas regardless of situation or placement."

Budgeting and logistics

Vallor typically budgets about $150 per requested item and builds a financial buffer to cover high-cost needs. This season she added an extra $5,000 to the campaign for expensive or unexpected requests — for example, a teenager preparing for college or a child requesting a high-priced game console. Vallor also personally contributed $5,000.

Once gifts are wrapped at her home, delivery is coordinated through a mix of volunteers, partner organizations, social workers and foster families. "My husband took a load up today, and then we had a social worker come visit one of our children who's in foster care, and she was able to take gifts for her kids' names," she says. "It's all just kind of who can come get it, when can they get it."

Across seven years, Vallor says she has never had to deny a wish because donors and supporters have been generous. For children who arrive in care late in the season or whose placements change suddenly, programs like Vallor's can mean the difference between receiving a gift or going without.

Impact: By combining careful budgeting, community generosity and logistical flexibility, Vallor's fundraiser delivers personalized gifts to children during a season when stability and kindness are especially meaningful.