Curtis Jenkins has worked as a bus driver for his school district in Dallas, Texas for seven years. This year, however, he wanted to do something special for his little passengers during the holiday season.

Originally, Jenkins wanted to host a gift exchange, but his wife remarked on how some of the students’ parents might not be able to afford a gift.

So instead of facilitating an exchange, he simply started saving money from his paychecks to buy gifts for all 70 of his students from Lake Highlands Elementary School.

After asking each student what they wanted for Christmas, he waited until the last school day before winter break to load up his bus with wrapped gifts and dole them out to the kids.

“When I opened that door, one of the kids asked me, ‘Are you Santa?’” Jenkins told KXAS. “Seeing those faces on the kids was more than anything I could ever do with the money.”

Though Jenkins was happy to fulfill his labor of love on his own, he says that he also received some financial contributions from a co-worker and a compassionate parent who was touched by his gesture.

This article originally appeared on Good News Network.

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Charity is a family affair for Katherine Heigl. Alongside her mother, Katherine founded the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation to end animal cruelty, in honor of her late brother, Jason, and his love for animals. The actress and her mother, Nancy, made it their mission to support animal welfare and encourage people to adopt more pets.

 

TV personality Bethenny Frankel is never shy about speaking her mind. After lending her voice as an ambassador for Dress For Success, a charity to empower women seeking financial independence, Frankel joined forces with the foundation to launch her own program: B Strong. Most notably, the Skinnygirl mogul took her disaster relief charity to Puerto Rico and Houston to help victims of Hurricane Harvey. She even got celebrity pals, like Ellen DeGeneres and Martha Stewart, to join her efforts and pledge their support.

 

One of Hollywood’s biggest philanthropists, Elton John, is known in the community for his outlandish charity events in honor of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The international organization began in 1992 and is dedicated to ending the AIDS epidemic through prevention, education, and support for patients diagnosed with AIDS. The rock musician’s charity is best known for its star-studded annual Academy Awards parties held in Los Angeles. Each year, Elton John raises millions of dollars to support the foundation’s mission.

Pop star Lady Gaga has been a staple in the LGBTQ+ community. Naturally, the singer established her own charity, the Born this Way Foundation, to empower youth, encourage acts of compassion, and promote proactivity surrounding mental health. In 2016, the artist and her foundation partnered with Elton John to launch a limited-edition clothing line at Macy’s called Love Bravery. The line featured clothes and accessories to promote love and kindness.

 

Actor Ashton Kutcher has gone from making us laugh on the TV screen to making it his mission to end the sexual exploitation of young children. In 2010, the That ’70s Show star and now-ex-wife Demi Moore established Thorn, a charity to end child abuse. What was once recognized as just an issue abroad, Kutcher discovered, is actually a very common issue online and even in his hometown of Los Angeles. He’s set out to put an end to child trafficking and abuse, even appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in early 2017, where he notably blew a kiss at John McCain.

Restaurateur and Beverly Hills socialite Lisa Vanderpump has always had a passion for dogs. Whether it’s leading the march to end the Yulin Dog Meat Festival or showcasing her love for animals on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, it should come as no surprise that she created her own charity, The Vanderpump Dog Foundation, in 2016. The foundation fights the international abuse of dogs and even has a rescue and adoption center in West Hollywood.

 

 

Actor Ian Somerhalder is known for his steamy scenes on the small screen, but what really gets his heart pumping is fighting for the environment. The Ian Somerhalder Foundationadvocates for the protection of wildlife, partnering with fellow environmentalists in support of our planet and all living creatures on it. Ian founded the nonprofit in 2010 and keeps its mission alive alongside his wife, actress Nikki Reed.

This article originally appeared on Popsugar.

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Mikah Frye knows what poverty feels like. About three years ago, his family fell on hard times when they lost their home and were forced to live in a shelter. Every day, Mikah would get a blanket, and every day, the shelter would have to take it back.

This year, when he saw some homeless people out in the cold, he did some quick math. Now that his family was doing better, he knew he would be getting a $300 Xbox this year for Christmas. He figured that, at $10 a blanket, he could buy 30 blankets instead of getting an Xbox — so instead of accepting the game system, he chose to buy the blankets instead. He then gave away each one to a homeless person in need.

“He knew what it was like to not have a blanket at night and have to give it back,” said his grandmother, Terry Brant. “So the first thing he wanted to do was give a blanket that they could keep.”

News of Mikah’s good deed spread quickly, catching the attention of Xbox manufacturer, Microsoft. The company decided to surprise Mikah with a new console that was the same model as the one he had traded for the blankets — and he was in tears.

“When they called and told me, I was just instantly crying on the phone, and I couldn’t believe it,” said Terry. “What’s harder was not telling him.”

Employees led Mikah to the back of the store, where Santa had bags full of gifts, including the coveted Xbox. The family was emotional.

“It’s just amazing — it’s a blessing. Mikah is a blessing to our family, and we thank you very much,” Terry said.

CLICK the link below to watch Mikah’s heartwarming reaction – and don’t forget to SHARE with your friends…

This article originally appeared on Good News Network.

The post 9-Year-old Gives Up $300 Xbox to Buy Blankets For Homeless So Microsoft Sends Him One for Free appeared first on Positive Celebrity News, Good Celebrity Gossip, Positive Entertainment News | Good Celebrity.

The couple has announced that they are giving away their $9.75 million Missouri mansion and land to a Christian camp for children with special needs and chronic illnesses, as reported by NBC Philadelphia.

The massive house boasts 104.7 acres of land with more than 1,700 feet of shoreline along Table Rock Lake.

Back in Southern California at the most magical place on earth @disneyland @californiaadventurepark The best place to share moments with your family! Family race at the #radiatorspringsracers #winner

A post shared by Cole Hamels (@colehamels) on Aug 23, 2017 at 4:10pm PDT

Camp Barnabas has two locations in the Ozarks and is centered around Jesus. They declare in their core values that “Christ comes first always” and staffers should “point people to Christ in everything we do.”

“There are tons of amazing charities in southwest Missouri,” Cole Hamels said in a statement. “Out of all of these, Barnabas really pulled on our heartstrings. “Seeing the faces, hearing the laughter, reading the stories of the kids they serve; there is truly nothing like it. Barnabas makes dreams come true, and we felt called to help them in a big way.

The 32,000-square-foot mansion will be the largest gift ever received in the history of Barnabas, according to a press release by the Hamels Foundation.

The camp also caters to campers’ siblings and parents, as well as missionaries. The camp said that Hamel’s extraordinary gift “really pulled on our heartstrings.” They added:

“Seeing the faces, hearing the laughter, reading the stories of the kids they serve — there is truly nothing like it … we felt called to help them in a big way.”

The gift has come at exactly the right time, as the camp seeks to expand.

“Our mission is to change lives through disability ministry, and we’ve been strategically looking for ways to expand our ministry outside of a summer camp,” said Jason Brawner, CEO of Camp Barnabas. “We have no doubt this gift will allow us to do just that.”

Back in 2012, committed Christians Cole and Heidi adopted a baby girl from Ethiopia named Reeve.

Check out more about the camp below:

This article originally appeared on Faith Wire.

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