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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.'

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.

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acts of kindness

Well Being

Boy Scout 3-D prints over 1,200 'ear guards' to help healthcare workers suffering from face mask pain

via Heather Roney / Facebook

Some of the most striking images of the COVID-19 pandemic have been the photographs of healthcare workers whose faces have been bruised and cut from wearing protective surgical masks.

This photo of a healthcare professional in Italy battling the pandemic was seen around the world. She looks like she went 12 rounds in the ring with a heavyweight fighter.

This is the face of front line talian nurse Alessi Bonar. The brutal reality of being on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic by sharing a photo of her face covered in bruises from wearing a protective mask for hours and days at a time. #nurses #Nursing #Coranovirus pic.twitter.com/sZnvuF7nPs
— Peter Pan Wine Guy🍷🍷 (@peterpanwine) March 14, 2020

However, this type of pain isn't just a concern for the medical community. In high-foot-traffic professions such as grocery stores, people have been wearing masks for their entire shifts.

Now, it's recommended that all Americans wear protective masks when they go out in public.

A hospital in Canada put out a call to anyone who could help alleviate the pain caused by the masks and Quinn Callander, a Boy Scout, answered the request in a big way.

He got to work designing an ear guard that can be produced with his 3-D printer. It's a simple, but genius design. The guards connect the straps from the masks, elevating them to the back of the head, so they don't rub the backs of the ears. They're also adjustable so they fit comfortably.

Quinn's mother shared photos of his invention on Facebook and the post has gone viral, attracting over 340,000 shares.

"Quinn answered a request from the local hospitals for help with creating more 'ear guards' to help take the pressure off health care workers ears from wearing masks all day," his mother wrote on Facebook. "He got busy on his 3D printer and has been turning out dozens of ear guards to donate."

via Heather Roney / Facebook

"As someone who works in healthcare I can say that this is fantastic! When we wear them constantly all day everyday, they actually start to cut into the back of our ears," one Facebook user wrote.

Quinn has made the 3-D printing files for the project public, so that the ear guard can be replicated by anyone with a printer.

"In one week I've personally produced over 1300 straps, 1215 have gone to a few hospitals in my region where they seem to be really appreciated," Quinn wrote on the file. "A volunteer group that I'm contributing to in the Vancouver BC area has delivered over 3300 straps including mine."

His mother later edited the viral Facebook post, adding the file information, to encourage other people to print the ear guards as well.

"We need more volunteers to fire up their 3D printers and donate these ear guards to hospitals and medical professionals!" she wrote.

Quinn's mask is a great example of how everyone is now deputized to help out in the fight against the virus. Even though he's only 13, he used his special skill set to contribute in the best way he knew possible.

We all have our own unique skills we can use to help others during the pandemic. What can you do?

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No, the Boy Scouts of America aren't going anywhere.

On Wednesday, May 2, the Boy Scouts of America made a small change to one of its programs, generating a big reaction.

In October 2017, BSA announced plans to admit girls into its programs, marking a pretty massive change to the organization's more than century-old structure. "I’ve seen nothing that develops leadership skills and discipline like this organization," said Randall Stephenson, the group’s national board chairman, at the time. "It is time to make these outstanding leadership development programs available to girls."

The organization has now unveiled its "Scout Me In" campaign, giving the public a broader look at what a co-ed Scouts program will look like.

— (@)

"As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in Scouting in every way possible. That is why it is important that the name for our Scouting program for older youth remain consistent with the single name approach used for the Cub Scouts," said Michael Surbaugh, chief scout executive of the Boy Scouts of America, in a press release. "Starting in February 2019, the name of the older youth program will be 'Scouts BSA,' and the name of our iconic organization will continue to be Boy Scouts of America."

To summarize: Other than girls being able to join the organization (which has been known by the public since October), the only major change is the name of the older youth program (which is currently called "Boy Scouts," but will soon be called "Scouts BSA"). The Boy Scouts of America name isn't going away. Confusing? Maybe a little.

Boy Scouts attend an event at Zachery Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville, Ky., in May 2007. Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images.

Some of the early responses to news of the program's name change seem to come from a fundamental misunderstanding of the announcement.

"There's something deeply sad about a society that presses for the Boy Scouts to stop being the Boy Scouts," tweeted conservative commentator Ben Shapiro. It's not clear who, exactly, he believes pressured BSA to change its program's name or whether he understands that the organization's name remains. "The Left will eat you alive if you compromise with them," wrote conservative blogger Matt Walsh, who added that this was a "self-destruction of the Boy Scouts organization."

The truth is that this wasn't some concerted effort on the part of progressives to eliminate the Boy Scouts. The decision appears to have been made out of necessity, with the organization rumored to be in a bit of a financial hole with enrollment on the decline. Allowing girls to join is one way to give enrollment a boost. Regarding the name change, it just seems kind of silly to keep calling that program "Boy Scouts" if it's making explicit efforts to market itself to girls as well. Walsh, Shapiro, and other social conservatives who bemoan "political correctness" and "social justice warriors" are blaming "the left" for something it had nothing to do with.

President Donald Trump addressed the 2017 Boy Scout Jamboree in Glen Jean, W.V. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images.

The Girl Scouts of the USA, not associated with BSA, wasn't a fan of BSA's plans to try to recruit girls.

In October, the Girl Scouts published a blog post making the case for the continued existence of its organization as the premier scouting destination for girls in the United States.

"The need for female leadership has never been clearer or more urgent than it is today — and only Girl Scouts has the expertise to give girls and young women the tools they need for success," the group wrote. "Girl Scouts works. We’re committed to preparing the next generation of women leaders, and we’re here to stay."

With the launch of BSA's "Scout Me In" campaign, GSA repeated that October point in a tweet, writing, "Girl-led. Girl-tested. Girl-approved since 1912."

— (@)

Whether or not people approve of BSA's changes and its efforts to include girls in its programs, it's important to separate the fact from fiction behind the announcement.

No, this wasn't the result of overzealous progressives trying to impose their will on a conservative-leaning organization like BSA. This wasn't "political correctness run amok" or anything like that. This announcement has nothing to do with transgender scouts, nor is it an attempt by the political left to strip boys of their own spaces.

This was, as boring as it is, quite clearly just a business decision. BSA might wrap it up in public relations-friendly language about inclusivity, but the truth is this looks like it was simply about trying to keep BSA afloat.

A group of Boy Scouts salute during a 2009 Memorial Day activity. Photo by Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images.

17 things about 2017 that weren't complete and utter garbage.

2017 was rough.

It was the equivalent of getting gum stuck in your hair, then realizing it wasn't gum at all. It was Nazis.

Photo by David McNew/Getty Images.

But there were positives too. Seriously.

Stop laughing! I mean it. There were good things about 2017. And I have the facts to back it up. Here are 17 things that made this a pretty awesome year.

1. Mahershala Ali became the first Muslim to win an Oscar in an acting category for his work in "Moonlight."

(OK, OK: Ellen Burstyn fans may try and tell you it was her, since she now practices a combination of religions including Sufi Islam. Perhaps Mahershala Ali is the first solely Muslim actor to win an acting Oscar. But that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.)

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images.

2. For 7.6 billion collective minutes, the world came together to celebrate the miracle of life.

April the giraffe's 16-month pregnancy came to a cliffhanging conclusion as the mom-to-be labored over the course of several weeks. The Animal Adventure Park captured more than 232 million live-stream views before the healthy male giraffe baby was born April 15.

3. No white men were nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy. It's the first time that's happened since 1999.

Technically, a few white men could still take home statues as producers if certain artists win. But it's pretty awesome to see people of color and women leading the field for one of music's most significant honors.

Album of the year nominee, Bruno Mars. Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET.

4. Through the Affordable Care Act, people signed up for health insurance from the government marketplace at a record-setting pace.

In November, during the first week of open enrollment, more than 600,000 people signed up, crushing the pace of previous years, despite Trump's efforts to weaken the program.

5. Cities and countries around the world are preparing for a gas-free future.

The Netherlands, France, and India are all in the process of phasing out the sale and use of gas- and diesel-powered cars. Cities like Oxford, Copenhagen, and Barcelona want the job done as early as 2020.

People ride bicycles during a 'car-free' day in Paris. Photo by Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images.

6. The year's most popular YA novel was written by a black woman and inspired by Tupac and Black Lives Matter.

If you, or the teens in your life, haven't read Angie Thomas' "The Hate U Give," you should — especially before the movie comes out.

— (@)

7. Volunteers planted 66 million trees in India. In one day.

The herculean effort was made possible by more than 1.5 million volunteers who made quick work of the project on July 2, 2017. In addition to an army of awesome volunteers, this company hopes to plant 100,000 trees each day using drones.

8. When natural disasters struck, people rallied together to raise funds and collect resources for people in need.

After the earthquake in Mexico and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria actors, athletes, inmates, former presidents, kids, and everyone in between came together to help people in harm's way. Bad news can bring out the best in us, and it certainly did this year. (You can still donate, btw.)

Members of the Texas National Guard prepare to distribute water and emergency meals. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

9. Congress — you know, the folks making life a little hard right now? Well, they're part of the most diverse U.S. Congress ever.

19% of the 115th Congress are non-white, and between the House and the Senate, there are 50 black members. It looks like things can only get better, too, as 34% of the new legislators are people of color.

10. That hole in the ozone layer we've been worried about for decades? It's shrinking.

The ozone surrounds the Earth to help filter out some of the sun's ultraviolet radiation. Lessening the use of CFCs and implementing other Earth-saving measures has led to a gaping hole that's 1.3 million square miles smaller than last year. In fact, it's the smallest it's been since 1988. It's still very much there, though, so don't put away the sunscreen just yet.

Photo by Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images.

11. While the reckoning has only just begun, people who harass, abuse, and sexually assault other people are finally getting theirs.

High profile men, including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., George Takei, Sen. Al Franken, Rep. John Conyers, and more have already faced personal and professional consequences for their actions after brave victims stepped forward and called them out. Let's hope these winds of change only blow stronger in 2018.

12. Germany, Australia, and Austria popped champagne for marriage equality.

German parliament overwhelmingly passed a bill in June and the country's first weddings took place this fall. 61% of voters in Australia voted in favor of marriage equality, paving the way for legislators to legalize marriage equality in the country. And Austria's Supreme Court just paved the way for marriage equality to begin in 2019. That's definitely bubbly-worthy news.

Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images.

13. Children's scouting programs did some pretty amazing stuff. And I'm not even talking about the cookies.

The Girl Scouts introduced a badge for cybersecurity and a pretty amazing guide to helping parents talk to their kids about weight and body image. The Boy Scouts announced that they're welcoming transgender children and girls to their ranks. And this Cub Scout made headlines for calling BS on a state politician. Children are the future — and the future looks pretty freakin' cool.

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.

14. Transgender lawmakers won big at the state and local level.

Virginia's Danica Roem and Minneapolis' Phillipe Cunningham and Andrea Jenkins all earned seats on state and municipal councils. Roem even beat out the self-described "chief homophobe." Good riddance to backward, shortsighted people making decisions for all of us.

Andrea Jenkins, center, celebrates her city council win. Image by Carlos Gonzalez/Associated Press.

15. In some of the best news of the year (unless you're vegan ... or a saltine): Cheese may be good for you.

Results from a new study reveal a small portion (about the size of a matchbox) each day may improve heart health. And yet, still no funding for my study on stuffed crust pizza and its effect on mood.

16. In a true feat of scientific achievement, NASA's Cassini spacecraft pulled a Bruce Willis and dove into Saturn's atmosphere.

For 13 years, Cassini orbited Saturn and took truly incredible, detailed images of the ringed planet and its moons. Where would we be without the hard work of researchers, scientists, and this brave robot's sacrifice?

Photo via NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

17. We were graced with Bodak Yellow.

The world is better, brighter, safer, and happier now that Cardi B's "Bodak Yellow" is in our lives. Frankly, I was thinking of making all 17 items on this list Bodak Yellow. Not into hip-hop? Make it a gospel jam. It even brings perfect strangers together.

2017 was scary, frustrating, and downright troubling. But there's always good stuff too.

When things are at their worst, do your best to seek out and remind yourself of all the ups, bright spots, and big wins going on too. And if you can't find them, at the very least, play some "Bodak Yellow."

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Cardi B reveals sexual harassment during photoshoot early in career - Upworthy ›

The Boy Scouts of America have been all over the news lately, but in a recent video, it's one of the group's youngest members who's making waves.

The video was taken earlier this month and features a Colorado state senator, Vicki Marble, holding a question-and-answer session at a Cub Scout den meeting. The senator likely had no idea just how tough the questions were going to be.

One of the scouts, 11-year-old Ames Mayfield, had come prepared to ask his elected official some serious policy questions.

Mayfield, respectfully armed with plenty of research, demanded the senator explain her stances on gun control and health care.

Referencing an earlier scandal in which Marble suggested a connection between cultural diets and disease — aptly named "chicken-gate" — Mayfield drilled the senator for her claims: "I was astonished that you blamed black people for poor health and poverty because of all the chicken and barbecue they eat."

Marble deflected and blamed the media for fabricating the story and 11-year-old Mayfield for believing it.

Later, Mayfield — who again, is 11 years old — pressured the senator regarding a bill she co-sponsored that would allow domestic violence offenders to own firearms.

"Why on Earth would you want someone who beats their wife to have access to a gun?" he asked after rattling off a bundle of statistics to support his argument (and shortly before being cut off by his den leader).

"It has been shown that the more guns a society has, the less crime or murders that are committed," Marble responded.

According to the Cub Scouts' own website, a true scout is "brave" and "helpful," which makes what happened next even stranger.

Mayfield was kicked out of his Cub Scout den.

Mayfield and his mother, Lori, who posted the Q&A footage online, say they were stunned by the decision. For Lori's part, she insists she didn't put her son up to it.

“The only coaching I gave him was to be respectful,” she told the Denver Post. “Don’t be argumentative, preface things ‘with all due respect.’ I felt my son followed directions. He asked hard questions, but he was not disrespectful.”

Mayfield has received an outpouring of support from people on social media. Meanwhile, the Scouts say they're looking for another den he can join.

Whether or not he rejoins remains to be seen.

Whether you agree with Senator Marble's positions on these issues or not, it's important to encourage young kids like Mayfield to take on an active role in challenging leadership, holding them accountable, and asking tough questions. That's how a healthy democracy functions.

We shouldn't lose sight of the fact that our country was built on just this sort of debate, and we should teach kids to ask smart, respectful questions — not blind obedience.

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Girl Scouts reminds parents kids shouldn't be forced to hug someone - Upworthy ›

Hey, quick question: How are you doing? Are you hanging in there?

It's been a rough couple of weeks, no doubt about that. You don't need a recap; just flip on the news or check Facebook, and you'll be knocked over by the avalanche of horrifying political developments that have taken place over the past 14 days.

It's a little overwhelming, to be honest. Things have felt hopeless, and even all the good people out there fighting for what's good and right sometimes seem like just a drop in the ocean.

But I'm here to tell you it's not all bad! A lot of it is bad, definitely. But, somewhere scattered underneath all the rubble of alternative facts, Muslim bans, and special operations gone horrendously wrong is evidence that this world we live in is, indeed, worth the fight.

Victories big and small are happening, along with pieces of news that are just a welcome reprieve from the madness.

Here are seven awesome things that happened this week you may not have heard about.

1. An amazing federal judge in L.A. demanded an Iranian man with a valid visa be allowed into the country.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images.

According to Matt Hamilton of the L.A. Times, Ali Vayeghan had been waiting for years to fly from Tehran to see his son in Los Angeles. He just so happened to book his journey right as Donald Trump's already infamous executive order came down.

Vayeghan was detained when he arrived at LAX and promptly sent back to Iran by way of Dubai.

ACLU lawyers petitioned the courts and won a decision to honor Vayeghan's travel visa, but by then he was back in Dubai. So U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee told authorities to transport him back to the U.S. immediately.

No word yet on whether Vayeghan has been reunited with his son in the U.S., but knowing there are judges out there willing to uphold the Constitution is a victory in its own right.

2. We thought this adorable frog was extinct but recently discovered it was just hiding!

Science and discovery still matter, damnit. Just ask the cave squeaker, a small African frog that hadn't been seen for nearly 50 years.

That is until a team led by Robert Hopkins, an associate researcher with the Natural History Museum in Bulawayo, found a handful of them in Zimbabwe. The frogs had simply changed breeding sites, which made them hard to track down.

Scratching just one species off the extinct list is a major deal, and now we can work on protection and conservation for these little brown hoppers so they can thrive again one day soon.

3. A Texas mayor came out as transgender, and the support was overwhelming.

A transgender mayor of a small, red town in Texas? Sounds like a recipe for disaster, and that's what Jess Herbst expected when she came out this week as transgender.

Much to her surprise, the reaction from her friends, neighbors, and peers couldn't have been more supportive.

One of my Facebook friends challenged people to post a picture from high school and current. So here is mine. 1977-2017, I haven't changed a bit.
Posted by Jess Herbst on Wednesday, January 18, 2017

"I was hoping for tolerance, and what I've gotten is overwhelming support," she said, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Read her brave, and refreshingly honest, open letter to the people of her town on the official New Hope, Texas, website.

4. A woman arrested for firing a warning shot at her abusive husband was finally released from imprisonment.

In 2010, Marissa Alexander's husband threatened to kill her. Protecting herself and her newborn child, she fired a warning shot from a gun she owned and scared him off.

Though the bullet did not hit her husband, Rico Gray, and the fact that Gray had a known history of abusing her, Alexander was convicted of aggravated assault with a lethal weapon. She has been in prison and under house arrest ever since.

Until this week.

— (@)

Having accepted a shortened sentence in 2015, Alexander's punishment is finally, and fortunately, over. She's now free. And though what happened to her was a travesty, her story is going to fuel the fires of anti-domestic violence workers everywhere for a long time to come.

We have a lot of work left to do.

5. The Boy Scouts are finally allowing transgender boys to join.

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images.

The Boy Scouts have not always been known as the most, er, progressive organization on the block. It took them a pretty long time to get comfortable with the idea of gay troop leaders, all the while doing a pretty poor job of handling accusations of abuse.

But, hey, this week at least, there's some progress.

The Boy Scouts of America finally announced it would honor the gender listed on a child's application instead of the birth certificate. This paves the way for kids who identify as boys to join.

After all, everyone deserves the chance to learn how to tie sweet knots and race wooden cars.

6. Two Republican senators vowed to vote "no" on Trump's pick for secretary of Education.

You may have heard a little about Betsy DeVos, who is currently awaiting confirmation to become secretary of Education. In short, she is immensely unqualified for the job.

Unfortunately, that hasn't stopped some of Trump's other picks from coasting their way into his cabinet.

This time, though, it seems there may be a few Republicans willing to stand up for what's right rather than playing party politics. Both Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said they could not support DeVos in the upcoming vote.

Whether that ultimately affects her path to the job remains to be seen, but it's at least a good sign not everyone in the GOP is willing to let Trump have his way when the stakes are high.

7. Beyoncé and Jay Z are having twins. Twins!

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

OK, this might seem trivial, but it's honestly been a while since a non-Trump story grabbed the country's attention the way Beyoncé's Instagram post announcing her pregnancy did.

We need trivial and giddy news like this to nourish our souls.

Think about it — we used to complain, but don't you kind of miss the days when pictures of cute puppies and all the latest Brangelina rumors ruled the internet? So do I.

Queen Bey has brought us back to that time, if only for a moment.

There's bound to be great news next week, too. You just have to look a little harder for it these days. But I promise you, it's worth it!