Words by Tess Becker
The holidays are a time for giving, love, and sharing. No matter what you celebrate the entire season is a time for togetherness and joy, but some people don’t have the resources or opportunities to celebrate the holidays usually as the result of financial constraints.
Some people see that happening and want to help. This particular person was just 11 years old.
Jonathan or ‘J.J.’ Werner is 11 years old and a Scout and was inspired to help kids in foster care in his area. Through popcorn sales with the Scouts, he raised money to buy hundreds of gifts for kids in foster care.
To see his vision through he sold $46,194 worth of popcorn, $5,800 of which he could use to buy presents for the kids in need.
Jonathan was inspired by his dad’s upbringing in foster care, hoping to provide something to kids that it sounded like his dad didn’t have.
“My dad spent 14 years in foster care and based upon stories that he had being in foster care, it doesn’t really sound like they had much of a Christmas,” he said.
His mother helped him see the vision through, helping him shop for and wrap the presents as well as using her van to deliver the presents in Kanabec County and Isanti County. All in all, he helped provide presents for 120 kids.
“I adopted all the foster care kids in Kanabec County and Isanti County for Christmas,” Jonathan said.
