This might be the off season for Santa Claus. In fact, he might be getting in a little vacation time with Mrs. Claus at their summer house of Santa Claus Lane in Carpinteria. But, two teenage brothers have turned the spirit of holiday giving into a year-round thing.
"It all started off with a letter to Santa, actually," said Jaden Lind. "We were vary fortunate in the position we were at, and instead of asking Santa for stuff for ourselves, we decided it would be a little bit better if we asked for blankets to give out to the homeless."
Their parents bought 20 blankets which they gave out to the homeless.
Jaden and his brother Jordan took that initial event, five years ago, and turned into something bigger. "The name is the Jordan Elf Project," said Lind. He says his brother wrote that initial letter, so it became the Jordan Elf Project.
Jaden is now a senior at San Marcos High School, and his brother is a junior. Their latest project collected more than 700 blankets and pillows for the non-profit group “People Assisting The Homeless,” better known as PATH Santa Barbara.
JB Bowlin is PATH Santa Barbara’s Assistant Director of Development. He says the teens are amazing. They collected 700 blankets and pillows, enough to get the non-profit through the winter season.
Jordan Lind, the Jordan whose name is part of the title of the project, says what started as a one-time event has become a passion for the brothers. "We originally thought it was going to be a one-time thing, but we really enjoyed handing out those blankets," said Lind. "We saw a lot of smiles on people's faces."
The Jordan Elf Project has progressed well past Santa Barbara County. They turned it into a non-profit, and have collected donations for things like oxygen equipment for COVID-19 hospital patients in India.
Closer to home, they've helped the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, and even taken lunches to day workers in Santa Barbara.
Jaden and Jordan Lind feel it's amazing to be able to help others.
"It's honestly the best feeling in the world," said Jaden Lind.
