Nine years ago as a teacher in Minneapolis I met a kindergartner named Angel. As a five year old Angel faced more worry and stress than any child his age should ever handle and yet he did it with the maturity that many of us don't find until we are adults. As we walked out to the buses one day I noticed he didn't have any mittens, which in the harsh Minneapolis winters, are necessities for school children riding drafty buses. I went to Target that night and bought a pair of Kindergartner sized mittens. The next day I slipped them to him as we walked to the bus. He smiled and put them on his little hands. The following morning Angel came to school without his mittens. As we walked to the bus that afternoon I asked him what happened to them. He looked at me, smiled and said, "Ms. Scott, I gave my mittens to my new baby sister so her feet would be warm." At five Angel had already learned to give to those who had less than he did.

His story and the stories of several other children to walk through my classroom are what motivate my desire to donate to Toys For Tots. Angel and countless other children come from families who love them but can't always give them fun toys, stuffed animals, books and games for the holidays. These families struggle just to keep their children warm and fed. Donations to Toys For Tots lets the Angels of the world have a few happy moments in a life that is often filled with struggle. I hope you will join us for It's A Wonderful Life and donate a toy so that all "Angels" may have a happy holiday this year.

- Erin Scott
Director, It's a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play