January 2022 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER 13
Boys & Girls Aid
By MARGIE WIESENTHAL
Boys & Girls Aid gives back this holiday season
Fifteen-yearold Jason had spent the last year and a half living in the car his friend drove . Then the friend died and Jason
WIESENTHAL had nowhere to
go . He wandered the streets for days , really scared , steeling food when he could , mostly from dumpsters .
A woman saw him doing this and asked where he lived . “ Nowhere ” was the answer . This woman happened to be a social worker and referred him to Boys & Girls Aid where he was given a room to sleep in and meals every day . He felt safe .
This story may seem dark and farfetched but it is representative of what many children in the Portland area experience . The fortunate ones are those who are referred to Boys & Girls Aid .
But Jason ’ s story doesn ’ t end there . In November he was asked by one of the counselors what he would like for Christmas . “ Huh ?” said Jason . “ What do you mean ?” The counselor answered , “ For a present , is there something you want ?” Jason thought about it for a minute and then remembered that he had recently seen some really cool basketball shorts on a boy . So he asked for that . “ Never happen ,” he thought and forgot about it .
Well , Jason ’ s request was written on a card with his name on it and placed on an artificial Christmas tree along with the other cards with requests from children served by Boys & Girls Aid of Portland . Three trees were filled with requests and brought to the November luncheon of the Cypress Branch of Boys & Girls Aid .
One of the women attending the luncheon chose Jason ’ s card . Bought
the basketball shorts and returned them unwrapped to the December luncheon with Jason ’ s tag on them . The shorts along with all the other requested items were taken to Boys & Girls Headquarters in Portland and wrapped in Christmas wrap .
On Christmas Jason was handed a present . “ What is this ?” he asked . Opening it he discovered the basketball shorts . They were so cool and in his size . “ This must be some kind of magic . I can ’ t believe it !” He had completely forgotten about the request . But Boys & Girls Aid and the Cypress Branch in Charbonneau did not forget . Jason and each of the other children received just what they had requested . It ’ s not really magic . We always remember . Making young lives like Jason ’ s better is what we use our energy , time and resources for . Believe it !
For more information about Boys and Girls Aid please visit our website www . boysandgirlsaid . org . To see what is happening at the Charbonneau Cypress Branch please visit www . cypressonline . org .
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