A 12-year old Boy Scout became a real-life Santa for people in his community when he used his earnings from selling popcorn to buy gifts for those in need.
Jonathon Werner is already the top popcorn salesman in Minnesota for the Boy Scouts, ranking third in the nation for sales after earning a total $56,000 in fundraising this year, alone according to KARE 11 News.
While his knack for selling has won him a few accolades, Werner is using his gift to bless others.
With a portion of the money earned during his fundraising, Werner is buying Christmas gifts for kids living in a domestic violence shelters and for foster children in four counties, KARE 11 reported. (RELATED: New Jersey Boy Scouts Rescue NBC Journalist Ann Curry)
A 12-yr-old MN boy just bought 600 Christmas presents for kids he doesn’t know. Jonathan Werner spent $11,300 on the gifts, his share of the $56.000 in Boy Scout popcorn he sold. The gifts will go to every foster child in four MN counties https://t.co/jOeWVMBuVB #land10kstories
— Boyd Huppert (@BoydHuppert) December 20, 2022
“He reads what every kid writes and tries to find something he thinks they are specifically going to like,” Jonathan’s proud mother, Serena, told the outlet.
Werner’s desire to help others helps make him a good salesman. “There were a lot of days at the end where, I was like, ‘Okay, can we go home? And he was like, ‘Nope. I have to stay; I have to stay,’” his mother told the outlet.
“My dad was in foster care when he was a kid. It didn’t really sound like they had much of a Christmas,” Werner explained. “It kind of reminds me how many people I will make happy during that holidays and that just makes me happy.”
In all, Werner bought $11,300 worth of gifts for those in need and hopes that one day he can take his generosity nation-wide: a gift for every foster child in every state, KARE 11 reported.