It’s the most wonderful time of the year for a South Bay woman who has played Mrs. Claus to the children of North San Jose’s Alviso District for more than 40 years.
Judy Santiago’s “sleigh” is a shopping cart at Target. Her elves are energetic volunteers.
“I call them my village. So many people have volunteered,” she smiled.
Santiago has drawn up her list and checked it twice to ensure that all 300 children at Alviso’s George Mayne Elementary School receive a gift at the party she is hosting the next day.
“It’s been going on for so long, it’s just a part of me, I guess,” she chuckles.
The toy giveaway began in 1983 after a major flood in Alviso kept some families out of their homes for months.
That holiday, Santiago and her husband, Joe Santiago, brought candy canes to the library. He put on the Santa suit he often wore to entertain their grandchildren, and they had their picture taken with the children.
“A lot of families were devastated. They lost almost everything,” Santiago remembers. “We didn’t have money to buy toys, but the fact that Santa Claus came really cheered the kids up.”
This is how the Santa Visits Alviso Foundation was born. Every year, Joe (a roofer by trade) and Judy (who worked in the tech field) dressed up as Santa and Mrs. Claus. And they raised money to provide holiday toys to Alviso’s underserved children.
Judy kept the foundation running after Joe died in 2002 from complications resulting from a brain abscess.
“We need a lot of happiness in the world. Hopefully we can do our part,” she explained.
Over the years, other family members and volunteers have stepped in to play Santa Claus alongside Santiago as Mrs. Claus.
Today, at age 87, she and her volunteers hosted the annual party at the youth center with photos, gifts and celebrities like Sourdough Sam, the San Francisco 49ers mascot.
The event will include games, bicycle donations from Community Cycles of California and a resource fair highlighting community support like Second Harvest Food Bank.
In addition to the holiday celebration, Santiago also invests in the children. Her nonprofit organization has awarded more than $1.1 million in scholarships to more than 100 students since 2006.
First-generation college student Jose Ruiz has received scholarships for several years to continue his studies in environmental studies.
The best part is that Santiago guides every student. Ruiz said she was just the encouragement he needed. She urged him to continue after he stopped.
“She sees a light in people that they don’t see themselves. And she encourages your personal growth,” says Ruiz.
Scholarship recipient Danielle Kendall says Santiago’s support will help her achieve her dream of becoming a Supreme Court clerk.
“She’s a great role model. She always tells me to do my best, to inspire me, someone to lean on when I need something. She’s amazing,” Kendall said.
Santa Claus visits Alviso throughout the year for the district’s children, with an Easter egg hunt, funding for swimming lessons and a summer program.
Santiago’s family joins her in serving the community. Together she and Joe had seven children, plus eleven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, with one more on the way.
With four generations volunteering together, Santiago hopes Santa Visits Alviso is a gift that keeps on giving.
“I’m sure the family will continue for many generations to come,” she beamed.
So because she has been bringing joy for more than 40 years through Santa Visits Alviso, this week’s Bay Area Jefferson Award goes to Judy Santiago.
Sharon Chin
