Boy Collected Toys for Orphans for Whole Year after Learning Santa Didn’t Visit Shelter – Retro Story

A boy was surprised to hear that Santa didn't give gifts to orphans living in a group shelter. He decided to take matters into his own hands by collecting toys throughout the year so that he could be "Santa" for them.

Tyler grew up in a simple working family. They were not rich, but his parents worked hard in order for him to live comfortably. He never felt like anything was missing because his parents instilled in him that more than material things and monetary wealth, spending time with family and building happy memories were what mattered most.

Christmas is Tyler's favorite time of the year. He and his family would spend Christmas Eve watching movies together while sipping cups of hot chocolate. After falling asleep in the living room, they'd wake up and see Santa's present under the Christmas tree, ready for Tyler to open.

Then, Tyler and his parents would prepare Christmas lunch as a family, singing Christmas songs and dancing in the kitchen while they cooked. "This is all I need in life!" Tyler would tell his parents as they smiled at one another as they did their respective kitchen duties.

Tyler realized early on that he didn't need to have a lot of money to be truly "rich" in life. All he needed was a good bond with his family and good friends at school to make many memories with.

One year, Christmas fell on a Saturday, which meant he and his parents had one more day to enjoy the weekend. Tyler asked their permission to go to the playground so that he could hang out with other kids his age.

"We don't get any gifts during Christmas. Santa does not visit the shelter we live in," the boy sadly revealed.

That particular day, a group of children from the group shelter nearby were playing on the swings. "Hello!" Tyler greeted them. "Merry Christmas! Look at my new toy sword from Santa," he said, swinging it around for the kids to see.

A boy looked at him and smiled softly. "Good for you," he told Tyler.

"What about you? What did you get from Santa?" he asked the boy.

"We don't get any gifts during Christmas. Santa does not visit the shelter we live in," the boy sadly revealed.

This revelation shocked Tyler, as he didn't think Santa missed out on giving gifts to any children. "But you've been good, right? Santa should visit you!" he insisted.

The boy shrugged. "We need to be good all year, or else we lessen our chances of having a family. I guess Santa only visits kids with families," he said, almost choking on his tears as he said this.

Tyler didn't know what to tell the boy after he heard this. Instead, he handed the boy his toy sword and asked if he wanted to play. The frown on the little boy's face turned into a smile, and he gladly nodded, taking the sword from Tyler's hand.

That afternoon, Tyler made sure to play with the children and lend them his toy sword. They took turns swinging it around while others picked up sticks from the ground so they could have a pretend sword fight.

"This sword is so cool!" one of the boys yelled. "It lights up and makes sounds!"

"I've never had a toy sword before. I wish I could have one!" another added.

That night, Tyler couldn't stop telling his parents about the boys he had met at the playground. He couldn't believe that Santa wouldn't visit them, and he wondered why.

"Mom, Santa doesn't visit them!" he said. "How can that be?"

"Maybe Santa does not know that there are children there. Right, dad?" his mom tried to reason out.

"Yes, I don't think Santa visits shelters... maybe he only visits houses?" his dad agreed, trying not to spoil the Santa experience for their son.

"Then I will be their Santa!" Tyler said. Beginning that night, he sorted out the toys he no longer used and even some of the new toys he had received from his classmates and parents' friends.

Tyler collected toys for an entire year and even asked some of his friends if they could donate some toys. "I'm giving them to shelter children!" he excitedly shared with his friends.

One day, Tyler came home with a big bag of toys from school, all thanks to his friends who wanted to support him in his program. "I gave you all the nice toys that I haven't used yet. I hope they make the kids happy!" his best friend Peter told him one day.

During their birthdays and special holidays like Easter and Halloween, they set aside the gifts they received so that they had more gifts to give the shelter kids during Christmas time. In the end, Tyler was able to collect more than enough toys for each kid at the nearby shelter.

When Christmas time finally arrived, Tyler excitedly handed his mom and dad some money to buy gift wrappers. "I saved up some of my allowances so that I could buy gift wrappers for the toys I collected all year long. Can we buy some?" he asked them.

Tyler's parents couldn't be more proud of him for being so selfless. "You are such a kind boy, my sweetheart," his mom said, giving him a tight hug. "Those children will be so happy. Thank you for being their Santa," she said before taking him to the dollar store to buy some gift-wrapping paper.

They happily went back home and wrapped hundreds of gifts in Christmas-themed wrapping paper while listening to some holiday music. "They're going to be so happy!" Tyler said. "Maybe we'll even get to visit two shelters! What do you think, Mom?" he asked.

"I think so, too! We'll be able to visit two shelters with Santa!" she said, gesturing to the door where Tyler's dad was all dressed up as Santa Claus. Tyler yelled in excitement and started laughing.

To support his son, Tyler's dad bought a costume from the store and volunteered to dress up as Santa when they visited the shelter. Tyler and his mom decided to dress up as Santa's elves.

"You look just like Santa Claus, Dad! Great job!" he joked. The three of them continued to wrap gifts together so they could all visit the shelters together the following day.

When they arrived at the first shelter, the children were delighted to see Santa. "Santa!" they yelled excitedly. "You finally visited us! Thank you for visiting us!" one of the boys said, embracing Tyler's dad.

"Oh, I guess we've been EXTRA good this year!" another child said. "Santa finally decided to visit us!"

Before the year ended, Tyler's parents helped him start the "Tyler's Christmas Mission" program, which allowed people from around the country to donate toys, books, and money to Tyler so that he could give them to shelter children during Christmas time.

"You've always been good, kids," Tyler's dad said, dressed up as Santa. "I'm sorry it took me so long to visit you... but I've come bearing gifts! My little elves here helped me pick out the best gifts for all of you!"

The kids started jumping up and down upon hearing that Santa had gifts for them. Tyler and his mom started handing out the gifts to all the children, and they started playing happily.

Tyler's family spent the entire afternoon with the children, playing with toys and reading them story books. After seeing the smiles on the children's faces, Tyler's parents promised to support their son if he ever decided to give gifts to shelter children again.

Little did they know, before they could even make it to the second shelter, the first shelter's admin officers took photos and videos of them playing with the kids. Their story warmed the hearts of thousands of people around the country, and they all decided to join Tyler in his program to make sure shelter kids enjoyed the Christmas season.

By the time the year ended, Tyler's parents helped him start the "Tyler's Christmas Mission" program because of the many inquiries they received. The program allowed people from around the country to donate toys, books, and money to Tyler so that he could give them to shelter children during Christmas time.

Tyler's parents put up a Facebook page where they entertained inquiries and donations from people, and it became more than just a one-man initiative. Hundreds of people sent boxes of new toys and books to Tyler's house and donated money so that they could buy toys as well.

"Mom," Tyler said one day as a huge box of toys arrived in their home. "This one's labeled 'for Tyler!'" he excitedly said. "Can I open it?"

"Of course, son, but read the letter first. What does it say?" his mom asked him. They opened the sealed envelope together and sat in the living room together to read the note.

"Dear Tyler,

Thank you for being a great inspiration to many. Your generosity and selflessness have sparked a movement around the country, forming a culture of love, kindness, and happiness. May you make many more children happy, and we hope more people help you and your cause! We pray that you and your family are blessed with all that you need and more because you deserve it! We hope you like these toys that we picked out for you. We hope you enjoy your childhood the same way you're allowing the kids from the shelter to have a normal childhood, too."

By the time they finished reading the letter, Tyler's mom was in tears. "Oh, Tyler," she said, embracing her son. "You have inspired so many people. I'm so proud of the young man you have become. I couldn't be any prouder, son. I love you."

"You and Dad raised me to be who I am, Mom. I know you and Dad work hard for what I have, and because of that, I've learned to be thankful for everything," he replied. "I want those kids to grow up normally like I did, too," he told his mom.

Until Tyler grew up and reached his teenage years, he continued the "Tyler's Christmas Mission" program. He received so much support from other people that he'd be able to help more than five shelters every single year and had a running fund that he could use every Christmas time.

From a simple trip to the playground, Tyler was able to bring an entire program to life thanks to his kindness. It became a Christmas tradition that thousands of people looked forward to every single year.

What can we learn from this story?

• What you teach your kids plays a big role in how they grow up. Tyler takes pride in his parents even though they were not wealthy. He credits them for raising him to be a good person, and this translated into a larger-than-life "Tyler's Christmas Mission" program that made hundreds of orphans happy every single year.
• You don't need to be wealthy to help other people. Start where you are. Tyler and his parents didn't have much in life, but they made sure to make the most out of what they had. They also made sure to help other people in need by pooling in their resources and eventually, working hand-in-hand with other people to make the "Tyler's Christmas Mission" program a success.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a boy who dreamed of becoming a fighter, who eventually saved his two little sisters from a fire during Christmas.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.