"Don't judge a book by its cover."
These sayings are cliche…but oh-so true.
There's a gang in New Zealand that looks pretty tough, but this gang doesn't bring fear and crime to their community. Instead, they bring joy and charity to their hometown.
The Tribal Huk is a New Zealand gang dedicated to helping out the less fortunate. Some of the members have had brushes with the police in the past, but now, they use their strength and aggressive attitudes for more positive purposes.
For three years in a row, these "brutes" have served as Santa Claus for the children-in-need in their communities. Backed by local charities and the police precinct, they delivered nearly 1,200 gifts to children in their town.
The Senior Constable of the town even says that the gang is "good for the community."
The gang leader is Jamie Pink. He went for many years without a Christmas when he was a kid and now he's dedicated to making sure that won't happen for these kids.
Scroll down to learn more about this very different kind of gang.
Please SHARE if you also believe that people should be judged on the merits of their actions rather than preconceived notions.
They may not look like your traditional Santas, but the generosity he displays is still the same.
"The [Huks] are like family, like our uncles," says one gift recipient. "It's cool here in Ngaruawahia, because we all look at each other and we know we're safe."
Here is gang leader "Uncle Jamie" with some of the thousands of toys he plans to give out.
The gang members don't come from affluent families. They work hard to make sure the children in the community have a better, safer neighborhood than they did as children.
Those may look like "gang signs," but these guys don't mean any harm.
"If the kids look at us as role models, that's cool, but I'd rather them get a present."
Even when it's not Christmas, the gang will spend their free time making sandwiches for children who can't afford lunches.
Here's a letter written by a very grateful girl in the town.
The gang's fighting days are over. Jamie sometimes wishes that term wasn't used to describe them: "It's too late to say we not a gang no more. In our world, you can't say, We do good things, leave us alone. We are what we are."
This "gang" might be the first that gang that actually sets a good example.
Please SHARE this inspiring story!
