By Vanesa Brashier, editor@bluebonnetnews.com
A group of San Jacinto Elementary students delivered socks to Liberty nursing homes Friday morning for Jackson’s Socks for Seniors, a campaign initiated by 6-year-old Jackson Kline.
The children visited with residents of Magnolia Place and Liberty Health Care Center and made plans to deliver the remaining socks to nursing homes in Dayton and Cleveland next week.
“The residents seemed to enjoy the visits with the kids,” said Jackson’s mother, Mitzi Smith Kline. “We had enough socks for all the nursing homes in Liberty County and the residents who receive Meals on Wheels in south Liberty County and Chambers County.”
Kline is happy that the corner of her dining room is now free of sock packages and boxes, and that Jackson has fulfilled his promise of collecting 1,000 pairs of socks for area senior citizens.
“We will use the remaining financial donations to order socks for a nursing home in Florida. I’ll have to do some research first to locate an area that can be helped,” Kline said, referring to Jackson’s request that some of the socks be given to people impacted by Hurricane Michael.
Jackson brought along school friends to help with the delivery on Friday. The kids took turns handing the socks to residents as they encountered them in their rooms, the dining area and hallways.
“Jackson was tired afterward. He said, ‘That was a lot of work, Mom,’” Kline said with a chuckle. “I asked him if it was worth it. He said, ‘Yes, I think we made a lot of people happy.’ When a kid so little has a big vision, they don’t see all the little steps that have to be taken to make the vision happen. I think it was a good experience for him.”
The children all seemed to understand the value of kindness as they hugged people along the way, bringing smiles and brightening the day for the residents.
Dusty Evans brought along his sons, Ryland and Parker, for the sock distribution. Standing along the hallway, watching his sons hand out socks, Evans explained that Ryland asked his parents if he could donate his Christmas presents this year to children in need. Evans said he was not surprised by his son’s request and the family is now working with Children’s Protective Services to hand over the donated gifts, so they can be given to foster children.
Kline hopes Jackson’s sock drive will inspire others to put their ideas into action.
“I hope it motivates people. Like Jackson says, if it can inspire someone else to show kindness, then that’s all we can ask,” she said.
Rev. T. Perkins (seated at left) accepts socks from Katie and Ellie Marek on Friday at Liberty Health Care Center. The socks were part of Jackson’s Socks for Seniors, which collected 1,000 pairs of socks for the county’s elderly residents living in nursing homes. 
Some of the cute kids delivering socks Friday to nursing homes in Liberty were Isaiah Foster-Smith, Angie Diaz, Ryland Evans, Parker Evans, Jackson Kline, Brooklynn Foster-Smith, Ellie Marek and Eli Marek. 
Mitzi Kline gives the children delivering socks some instruction as they visit residents of Liberty Health Care Center on Friday. 
Jackson Kline prepares the 1,000 pairs of socks he collected for delivery on Thursday evening with the help of his parents, Jerry and Mitzi Kline, and grandparents, Tommy and Gloria Smith. 
The children took time out from delivering socks to play games with the residents of Magnolia Place Health Care on Friday. 
Jackson Kline, who started Jackson’s Socks for Seniors, is pictured with his grandparents, Tommy and Gloria Smith, and mom, Mitzi Smith Kline. 
The children arrive at Magnolia Place Health Care on Friday after first delivering socks to Liberty Health Care Center. 
Two Vietnam War veterans, Francis Horger and Benny McKinney, visit with Jackson Kline (bottom right), his grandfather, Tommy Smith (standing) and a group of children helping Jackson deliver socks at Liberty Health Care Center on Friday. Jackson’s campaign, Socks for Seniors, gathered 1,000 pairs of socks for the county’s nursing home residents. 
Carla Granier gets a hug from Jackson Kline and Angie Diaz on Friday as they visited Liberty Health Care Center. 
Beatrice Hayden was grateful for the socks and a visit with children on Friday at Liberty Health Care Center. 
Some of the cute kids delivering socks Friday to nursing homes in Liberty were (left to right) Isaiah Foster-Smith, Angie Diaz, Ryland Evans, Parker Evans, Jackson Kline and Brooklynn Foster-Smith. Not pictured are Ellie and Eli Marek.