Gwinnett teen has been giving children winter gear since he was 4

Berndt Petersen
·2 min read
1

A Gwinnett County teen who has spent the last nine winters collecting hats, scarves, and gloves for children in need is once again going all out this season.

Caden Jackson, 13, can feel it in the air, so he has a job to do.

“Every time it gets cold I think of the kids who don’t have the hats, scarves, and gloves to be warm when they want to play outside,” Jackson told Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen.

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For the last nine years, he has organized donations of winter gear to give to Gwinnett County children who don’t have it.

Back when he was in preschool, he noticed that some of his playmates were going without.

At the age of four, he was determined to make a difference.

“We didn’t make him do it. He literally was like, ‘This is what I want to do, Mom.’ In his own words. I love it. I’m thankful for him,” Caden’s mother Renee said.

Channel 2 Action News first introduced you to him in 2021.

His donation drives have collected thousands and thousands of hats, scarves and gloves, which were then given to local school children.

This year Caden’s Loved and Protected Foundation officially obtained its nonprofit status as a 501(C)(3).

He’s now partnering with local businesses to give as many cold-weather essentials as possible to schools, children’s hospitals, and shelters.

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“Shelters that take care of moms and their babies. This year we get to help the moms and their babies,” Renee said.

What started as a countywide effort will now go statewide.

“I just love helping kids who are less fortunate. I just want everyone to have what they need,” Caden said.

He has a hats, scarves and gloves drop-off event this Saturday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in front of Pak Mail along New Hope Road in Lawrenceville.

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