Power To Your Voice
Power To Your Voice
No one was more surprised at Judy Santiago receiving a Jefferson Awards in 2024 from the Multiplying Good Foundation, SF Bay Area, than the Sunnyvale resident herself.
“I’m still in shock,” said Santiago. “I got an email from [KPIX reporter] Sharon Chin a while back, and she said that, ‘You were notified several months ago that you received the award, and I want to talk to you.’ I said, ‘Actually, I hadn’t heard anything.’”
The Jefferson Awards recognizes national and grassroots heroes across the U.S. The half-century-old foundation has recognized 65,000 community leaders for their service to local communities.
Santiago is the co-founder and Board Member of the Santa Visits Alviso Foundation, an all-volunteer nonprofit that holds an annual family Christmas event in Alviso, and provides scholarships for Alviso students — $1.2 million as of this year.
It also sponsors an Easter Egg hunt in the spring and swimming lessons in the summer. This year, the foundation distributed toys to every single student in Alviso’s George Mayne Elementary School.
At its heart, Santa Visits Alviso is about family.
“Our family has always been super close, and we all get together for the holidays,” said Santiago. “When our first grandchild was born, we decided to buy a Santa suit for our family get-togethers.
“In 1983, Alviso was inundated with a giant flood,” she continued.
That Christmas found many families still without a home and facing a not-very-jolly Christmas.
“My daughter’s mother-in-law was helping at the after school program at the little library in Alviso,” she continued. “She called us up after the flood and everything, and said, ‘You guys have the Santa suit. Would you consider coming out to the library just so the kids could take a picture with Santa for Christmas?’”
Santiago and her late husband Joe said “yes” without thinking twice.
“My husband put on the suit, and I bought some candy canes, and we went,” Santiago said. “When the local fire department found out we were there, they brought their fire truck over. People were lined up outside that little library, clear back to the railroad tracks and Val’s Restaurant.”
The Santiagos thought this would be a one-time event. But the library called them the next year, “and it just ballooned,” Santiago said.
“The first year, my husband wished that we’d have money someday to buy all those kids toys. Then different people started getting involved, and Richard [Santos, SCV Water Board Member and longtime Alviso advocate] started telling people about us. A few dollars came in here and there, and eventually, we were able to start buying toys,” recalled Santiago.
Over the years, what started as a visit with Santa and candy canes became toys and a gift book of the visit and is today a $1.2 million scholarship program for Alviso students. This year, 22 students received a total of $100,000 in scholarships. In addition to scholarships, the foundation also supports students to ensure their success.
For 21 years, Joe Santiago put on the Santa suit to the delight of South Bay children until his death in 2002. His obituary by Mercury News reporter Betty Barnacle brought even wider attention to the foundation.
As donations grew, Judy Santiago began thinking about a scholarship program.
“In 2006, we started that with $7,500 and had three applicants,” Santiago said. “It just took off from there. We’ve given out over a million dollars in scholarships. This year, we have 32 students in school, and some are going back for Masters.
“Some of the students that have come through the program have given me pictures of when they were little ones,” she continued. “They’re still very active, and they come and see me. Some of them have gotten married. Some now have children of their own.”
Despite four decades of service, Santiago never imagined that she would be in the running for the Jefferson Awards.
“I’m extremely humbled every time I think about it. I never was expected it. I’m speechless,” she said.
But Santiago isn’t stopping to absorb her surprise. As the new year dawns, she’ll be working on the 2025 event, and the Santa Visits Alviso Foundation will be open for scholarship applications on March 1.
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