Bus driver put aside money from paychecks to get Christmas presents for 70 students
A bus driver in Dallas got mistaken for Santa Claus on Friday when students walked onto his bus to see that it had been filled with the presents that they wanted for Christmas.
“When I opened that door, one of the kids asked me, ‘Are you Santa?’” school bus driver Curtis Jenkins told KXAS. “Seeing those faces on the kids was more than anything I could ever do with the money.”
According to the outlet, Jenkins has worked for Richardson ISD for seven years and saved money from his paychecks this year in order to buy presents for the students on his daily route. His initial idea was to host a gift exchange, but when his wife Shaneqia pointed out that the kids’s families might not all be able to afford gifts, Jenkins decided to buy each of them what they asked Santa for instead.
“He’s always wanted to do something for the kids,” Shaneqia said.
On the day before Christmas break the 70 gifts were all onboard, including puzzles, electronics and even a bike. One of the student’s parents, Katrina Clift, even told KXAS that the act of kindness made her cry.
“It makes me feel like I belong and I mean something to this community,” she said, “especially to the people who love my children.”
Lake Highlands Elementary School posted a photo of Jenkins and his bus filled with presents on Saturday, giving thanks and saying “we should all strive to be a little more like Curtis.” The thousands of people who reacted to the post certainly agreed.
“He is a blessing from God. This man cares about the children,” someone who works with Jenkins wrote. “I see him every morning giving them life lessons. Such a great man,” said another.
Others have attempted to return the favor to the bus driver by asking what he wants for Christmas. One parent at the school even handed him $100 when Jenkins mentioned what he was doing.
Jenkins didn’t immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment. However, he replied to the woman who gifted him the extra cash to thank her “for what you gave to me for the babies on my bus.”
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