Christmas Saved For Samaritan House By Jewish 12-Year-Old
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - 12-year old Carter Haber of Aledo wanted to find a project to help the community. He heard about Fort Worth Samaritan House. It houses low-income families with parents suffering from HIV/AIDS. But because of the sagging economy, Samaritan House had lost the corporate sponsor that provided more than 50 children with Christmas presents.
More than 50-children wouldn't receive Christmas gifts."They'd have nothing at all," Haber said. "Maybe a tree."
"I'd be lying to you to say that it wasn't a setback," said Walter Archey, a Samaritan House board member. "And it put us in a position where things might not have been as good as they should have been."
"I think its very important because everybody deserves a Christmas," Haber said.
Haber went door-to-door raising money for gifts. And his sales pitch had an ironic twist. "I would kind of present what I'm doing," Haber said. "I would shake their hand and tell them 'Hi, I'm Carter. I'm doing my Bar Mitzvah project for Samaritan House.'"
Thanks to Haber's preparation for the Jewish ritual of Bar Mitzvah, more than 50 children will have Christmas. Haber raised $5,000, organized a shopping list and bought the presents within budget.
"We have anything from bikes to hot wheels to video games we have all sorts of stuff," Haber said as he looked over a room full of colorfully wrapped packages of all shapes and sizes. "Anything you name we probably we have. I think that all these kids will be very happy that santa brought them gifts. Even though some go anywhere to 17 they'll still be happy. It doesn't matter who you are, how old."
"This is what christmas is all about, the spirit of giving," Archey said.
And the fact a Jewish rite of passage provides Christmas to children? "I don't think it matters," Haber said. "A good deed is a good deed any day, any time, anywhere."
Haber said he wants to continue fundraising in hopes of raising enough money to pay rent for some of the families at Samaritan House.
If you'd like to help, you can contact Haber at carter@fdtrainingssystems.com
