It's an eternal truth: People take care of the things they perceive as their own.

That's the experience of three young people whose stories were told this past week in The Butler Eagle:

n Marissa Matecka, a Butler High School senior and JROTC cadet, came up with the idea of making and sending holiday greeting cards to military personnel serving in foreign countries. With enthusiastic help from her classmates, her goal of 100 cards last year has grown to a collection of more than 2,000 handmade cards being sent overseas this Christmas season.

n Grant Ordy, a Center Township kindergartner, was inspired by the animated Disney movie, “Mickey's Christmas Carol” to organize a holiday food drive. With help from his parents and their coworkers, Grant collected a dozen turkeys, numerous other grocery items and cash donations to buy even more turkeys. The goods were given to the Lighthouse Foundation's food bank.

n Six-year-old Ethan Vactor, of Adams Township launched a toy drive for juvenile cancer patients after seeing a movie about a patient who was tormented by other children when treatments caused his hair to fall off. Ethan's parents, classmates, teachers and others are helping collect toys for distribution to patients at UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.

In each of these cases, children dreamed up charitable projects too big for themselves to handle, but they succeeded by drawing others in. All three dreamed up their own project, and they relied on the hands, feet, resources and ideas of others for their projects to succeed.

Taking ownwership of good ideas is a winning formula for community living. We're delighted to see individuals grasping the concept so early in their lives.

A measure of sorrow softens this week's jeer for an aging woman who swiped a decorated Christmas tree Nov. 21 from Smith's Flower Shop on Butler's North Main Street.The thief, whose identity probably is known only to herself, was described as being in her mid-60s. That's old enough to know stealing goes against everything Christmas stands for. At the same time, she's probably struggling to hold onto memories of Christmases past and striving in very inappropriate ways to rekindle her joy of past holidays. Well, stealing isn't the way to do it.The four-foot, fiber optic tree was trimmed in gold ornaments. It stood nearly as tall as the suspect, which probably aided her getaway — who would steal, in broad daylight, something so large and so conspicuous?She must have been a sight, a grandma-aged woman clutching a decorated Christmas tree nearly as big as herself while hustling down Main Street — a holiday dance team scattering stray decorations as they waltz away from the crime scene.Oddly enough, no witnesses offered much help to police investigating the theft.She's likely to get away with the theft. But she'll never get away from the emptiness she's probably trying to fill with stolen goods.

Cheers to church congregation in Bradford that is “going camo” this Sunday, the day for the start of Pennsylvania's deer hunting season.The Rev. Chris Terbush, pastor of the First Wesleyan Church of Bradford, says the congregation will worship while dressed in camouflage hunting apparel to celebrate the state's outdoors heritage.Terbush says he hopes to attract new members to his flock by taking advantage of the popular reality TV series “Duck Dynasty,” which chronicles a family known for their long beards and camouflage clothing that has made a fortune making and selling duck decoys to hunters.The A&E hit series is a family show — no violence, no sex, no foul language — and each episode ends with the family saying grace before sharing dinner.The show's popularity is infectious. It's about people finding joy — and wild commercial success — in doing the things they love to do, and finding joy and affirmation in each others' company. What's not to love?Pastor Terbush might be on to something. He says Camo Sunday might become an annual event. Let's hope the spirit that inspired his event — the same spirit that inspired the TV series — visits all of us on a more frequent and regular basis.