Boy Makes His Own Wish Come True For Christmas: Coats For The Homeless

LANCASTER (CBSLA.com) — Harrison Pleer's letter to Santa starts off like most others: a kid's wish list for Christmas.

But Harrison isn't like most 9-year-olds.

"One day, I was at school and I lost my jacket, and I went to lost-and-found," Harrison said. "So I couldn't find my jacket and thought of all the homeless people that would be cold this year."

So this year, Harrison decided all he wanted for Christmas was to give coats to the homeless in his community. He got his mom's help by asking her to post a request for used coats on Facebook.

"Acton, Palmdale, Quartz Hill, Lancaster, everybody was just bringing coats," Pleer said. "His goal was 200 in six weeks. He surpassed that at 254."

"I was shocked," Harrison said. "I really didn't understand how many coats I had."

The coats came in and started stacking up. With the help of Pleer's colleagues at State Farm and a local business that offered to dry clean everything for free, the coat drive at Grace Resources was on.

Harrison helped them find the right sizes and styles for men, women and children who came in without coats and left with a feeling of warmth on the outside and inside.

"I think it made them feel like they were special," Harrison said. "It made me feel like my heart was going to explode with laughter and joy."

"The amount of pride I have in him ... I just can't wait to see what else he's going to do with his life if this is where he's starting at 9," Pleer said.

Harrison got a certificate of appreciation for his efforts and still doesn't expect anything under the tree. He's teaching many that actions truly speak louder than words.

"This is the season for more giving than getting," Harrison said.