+
Sign up for
The Upworthiest
Our top stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
Community

Boy Scout became Santa to foster kids in Minnesota by selling $56,396 in popcorn

'I adopted all the foster care kids in Kanabec County and Isanti County for Christmas.'

boy scout; scout; foster children; fundraiser; acts of kindness
Photo by Mael BALLAND on Unsplash

Boy Scout became Santa to foster kids in Minnesota.

Most kids are busy trying to convince their parents they need a new thing added to their Christmas list a few days before the big day. But 12-year-old Jonathan "J.J." Werner in Cambridge, Minnesota, stays busy making sure other kids have something under their Christmas tree. He really takes his service projects seriously.

Last year, the young Scout worked to provide Christmas gifts for children in foster care in two Minnesota counties. This year, he added kids currently living in domestic violence shelters to the list. Jonathan raised money by participating in a popcorn fundraiser. He told KARE 11 in 2021, "I adopted all the foster care kids in Kanabec County and Isanti County for Christmas."

There were up to 120 kids in foster care in the two counties and Jonathan was able to provide a present for each of them, with the help of his mom's minivan. He made more than $46,194 in popcorn sales, and this year he beat that number by $10,000, selling $56,396 worth of popcorn.

In the United States, there are currently 407,000 children in foster care, with 34% of them being cared for by relatives. There isn't a set organization that universally provides Christmas gifts for children placed in foster care. Whether children in care receive gifts or not depends on the foster family if there's no special program from the state or if biological parents don't provide them. This can leave children without anything to open on a holiday where they will surely be asked at school what Santa brought them.

Thanks to Jonathan and his sleigh-driving mom, nearby children in difficult situations won't have to go without on Christmas day. The preteen Santa knows just how important it is for kids in foster care to feel loved because he knows someone that has experienced living in foster homes, his own dad.

"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," Jonathan told KARE 11. With more and more programs popping up to help foster children experience a good Christmas, things have definitely improved some since Jonathan's dad was in foster care, according to Isanti Health and Human Services Supervisor Ann Stackpool-Gunderson, as reported by KARE 11.

Jonathan was determined to do his part and other Scouts pitched in to help wrap gifts. It was a team effort that carried on to this year when Jonathan was able to buy even more toys with the money he raised. The amount of determination he has is admirable.

With the help of his team of elves and his mom, all the gifts were successfully dropped off at their respective locations to be distributed. Turns out this Scout may have a future in social work if he takes the Kanabec County supervisor up on his offer to apply for a job there when he's older.

Seeing someone so young take the time out of their holiday season to do something so selfless gives me the warm and fuzzies. I hope he continues to have success in this big undertaking in the future, because everyone deserves a little extra love during the holiday season.

From Your Site Articles
acts of kindness
Badge
P&G
Proctor and Gamble
Joy

Know someone doing major good in the world? Share their story and win $1,000 for charity with Upworthy & P&G’s #ActsOfGood Awards

Do good. Win big for the charity of your choice.

True

In a flurry of heavy headlines that constantly inundate our feeds, acts of good connect us back to our faith in humanity. Witnessing just one person go out of their way to make the world a better place is a powerful healing salve against apathy. It reminds us all of what we are collectively capable of creating. This is the philosophy that Upworthy wholeheartedly believes in, hence why we’re always sharing uplifting stories of people giving kindness, generosity and support to their fellow humans.

That’s also why we’re partnering with P&G, the maker of some of our favorite household products like Tide, Always and Pampers, to bring you the 2023 Acts of Good Awards, and celebrate the individuals who are giving back and strengthening their communities.

Think of it like the Oscars of kindness. Half as formal but twice as feel-good.

Besides providing the world with brands we know and trust, P&G is a company doing good acts, whether it’s supporting hygiene education, helping struggling communities gain access to basic necessities or delivering essentials for families impacted by disasters.

Keep ReadingShow less
acts of good
Science

Researchers dumped tons of coffee waste into a forest. This is what it looks like now.

30 dump truck loads and two years later, the forest looks totally different.

assets.rebelmouse.io

One of the biggest problems with coffee production is that it generates an incredible amount of waste. Once coffee beans are separated from cherries, about 45% of the entire biomass is discarded.

So for every pound of roasted coffee we enjoy, an equivalent amount of coffee pulp is discarded into massive landfills across the globe. That means that approximately 10 million tons of coffee pulp is discarded into the environment every year.

Keep ReadingShow less
climate change
Badge
Acuvue
Acuvue
Sponsored

ACUVUE launches a new campaign to inspire Gen Z to put down their phones and follow their vision

What will you create on your social media break? Share it at #MyVisionMySight.

True

If you’ve always lived in a world with social media, it can be tough to truly understand how it affects your life. One of the best ways to grasp its impact is to take a break to see what life is like without being tethered to your phone and distracted by a constant stream of notifications.

Knowing when to disconnect is becoming increasingly important as younger people are becoming aware of the adverse effects screen time can have on their eyes. According to Eyesafe Nielsen, adults are now spending 13-plus hours a day on their digital devices, a 35% increase from 2019.1. Many of us now spend more time staring at screens on a given day than we do sleeping which can impact our eye health.

Normally, you blink around 15 times per minute, however, focusing your eyes on computer screens or other digital displays have been shown to reduce your blink rate by up to 60%.2 Reduced blinking can destabilize your eyes’ tear film, causing dry, tired eyes and blurred vision.3

Keep ReadingShow less
social media

Curvy and Confident: These stylish retro swimsuits empower every body type

Unleash your inner pinup with swimwear from Unique Vintage

Editor's Note: Upworthy earns revenue from the items shared in this story


Body positivity and empowerment have become essential aspects of the fashion world, and swimwear is no exception. Embracing your curves and feeling confident in your own skin should be a universal experience. Luckily, finding that confidence is easier than ever, thanks to Unique Vintage. With their stylish, retro-inspired swimsuits, everyone can unleash their inner pinup and feel fabulous at the beach or by the pool.


Sign up for texts or emails and
GET 20% OFF
unique vintage swimwear
Unique Vintage Swimwear
Prices start at $32


Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

Instacart delivery person followed her instincts and ended up saving the life of a customer

"You're supposed to take a picture and leave, and I could not just leave."

@JessicaHiggs3/TikTok

Jessica Higgs had a sense that something wasn't right at a customer's house and her action saved his life.

One the more mysterious aspects of being human is our sense of intuition. This "sixth sense" isn't something we can see or measure, but many people have experienced it in some form or fashion. Maybe it comes as a strong feeling that something isn't right, or that we or someone else should or shouldn't do something. It can be hard to read—not every feeling we get is truly our intuition—but there are plenty of examples of people trusting their instincts and being glad they did.

One such story has gone viral on TikTok. Jessica Higgs, a mom who works as an Instacart grocery delivery person, shared a story in an emotional video that illustrates the importance of listening to that inner voice when it prompts you to make sure someone is OK.

"I just want to start this off by saying if you see something, say something," Higgs said.

Keep ReadingShow less
heroes
Pop Culture

Turns out there's a scientific reason kids aren't cold when adults are freezing

Teens in shorts and hoodies while there's snow on the ground aren't as cold as parents think.

Photo by Darran Shen on Unsplash

Kids really aren't that cold in the winter and science proves it.

The argument to wear warm clothes when temperatures dip is a rite of passage in parenting. It never fails—you're either locked in a heated debate with a tiny human who just learned to speak a year ago or rolling your eyes as your teenager leaves the house in shorts when it's 30 degrees outside. Reasoning with your child to put on proper pants for the weather simply evolves as they get older.

Seemingly, once kids reach a certain age, parents stop trying to convince them that coats, hats and gloves are designed to be more than closet ornaments. But it turns out that kids might be on to something, or at least know their temperature comfort levels better than the adults around them. Recently, Vox explored why children seem to be unfazed by weather that sends most adults back inside the house to grab a wool hat and a winter coat.

Keep ReadingShow less
kids & teens
Science

We need more trains. Video shows why it's so expensive to build them in America.

We're the sixth most expensive place to build rail transit in the world.

via Nic Y-C/Unsplash

The A Train in New York City

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, heavy rail transit such as subways and metros produce 76% fewer greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile than an average single-occupancy vehicle. That makes them one of the most essential tools for fighting climate change.

However, according to a new report from CNBC, the United States is the sixth most expensive country worldwide for building rail transit.

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure law that included the country's most significant investment in public transportation. According to CNBC, the U.S. is expected to spend between $91 billion and $108 billion on local public transit through 2026. With all that money at stake, using it effectively will be key.

Keep ReadingShow less
public transit
Joy

Slow motion video of jumping baby goats is a great life lesson in disguise

A video we didn't even know we needed…but totally do!

Sunflower Farm Creamery/Youtube

This is almost too cute for words.

Look, you’re busy. You’ve got stuff that needs to be done today. Do you really have time to watch tiny baby goatsjump in slow motion? Will that really add anything of value to your life?

Actually, the answer is yes. Because watching tiny baby goats jump in slow motion is not only exceedingly entertaining, it’s actually a simple life lesson in disguise.

These little guys hail from Sunflower Farm Creamery in Maine, where 60 (yes, 60) goats are born each year. Sunflower Farm promises that even if you didn’t love goats before, you will after watching videos from its Youtube channel showing the wee babes run, play, hop and snuggle. I mean, there’s another video showing the goats in pajamas…what’s not to love?
Keep ReadingShow less
animals
Trending Stories